Bruins’ October Schedule Creates Early Playoff Doom Scenario

Boston Bruins face a brutal start to the 2026-27 NHL season—can Marco Sturm’s squad weather early adversity and keep playoff hopes alive? Ian McLaren assesses the Bruins’ challenging October schedule, featuring key matchups against the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets, and Carolina Hurricanes, and pinpoints where critical wins must happen. Defensive structure, travel fatigue, and the need for discipline will test Boston’s depth from day one, while Jeremy Swayman and Michael DiPietro’s performances could make or break the opening month. Matt Poitra’s ongoing contract saga intensifies as roster logjams push the restricted free agent’s future into doubt. Potential trades, including Calgary’s Morgan Frost, could signal major changes up front, while the emergence of prospects like James Higgins and Mason Lohrei offer hope and raise tough decisions for Don Sweeney. Can the Boston Bruins reinvent themselves and climb back to contention, or will a slow start force a new direction at TD Garden? Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.   OdooGreat organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.  IndeedNow, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcastright now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.