If everything goes their way on Thursday night, the Boston Bruins will have accomplished the same thing as the Tampa Bay Lightning in their last outing: Breaking a losing streak.
The Bruins head to the Sunshine State for their first matchup this season against the Lightning. Boston is winless in its last five games (0-4-1).
This is fairly uncharted territory for Boston, which has not missed the playoffs since a 93-point output kept it out of the postseason in 2015-16.
The Bruins had 0-2-1 stretches in October and November that featured tough defeats to clubs that do not occupy a playoff spot now.
In the current stretch, Boston has suffered road setbacks at the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins also have dropped home tilts versus the New York Islanders in overtime and the Edmonton Oilers.
What lies ahead?
Road contests against Tampa Bay and the Stanley Cup champion Panthers, a return match against the Lightning and a trip to Ottawa.
Right winger David Pastrnak tops Boston with 17 goals and 25 assists, while Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm have 21 and 20 points, respectively.
Bruins to play outdoor game in Tampa
Boston and the Tampa Bay Lightning will play at Raymond James Stadium -- home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, as part of the 2026 NHL Stadium Series. The Bruins last played an outdoor game in 2023 when they hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins at Fenway Park for the Winter Classic.
-- masslive.com