The Boston Bruins will open up the 2017-2018 season at home on October 5th. Now, just two weeks away, anticipation to see what will come out of this season is at an all-time high. From rivalries, to road trips, to inaugural games, and everything in between, the Bruins schedule is packed full of things to look forward to.
A Look at the 2017-2018 Boston Bruins Schedule
While looking ahead at the schedule, specific games definitely stand out before the puck even drops to start the season. As the season goes on, some games will mean more and some may turn out to be classics long after they are played. Before looking at individual games, there are a few notes to be aware of on the schedule:
- The yearly “West Coast trip” is a lot earlier than usual this year. The Bruins travel to Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose the 15th to 18th of November.
- Boston’s bye week will be January 8th – 12th. It comes after a back-to-back ending on the road in Pittsburgh. Their first game back is on the road against Montreal on the 13th.
- 11 of the last 15 games of the season are all on the road.
- There are a total of 14 back-to-backs.
- The longest home-stand is six games.
- The longest road trip is five games.
- The last six games of the season are all against Eastern Conference teams.
- The Bruins play every other day for a total of 16 games in the month of March.
Individual Games to Look Forward to
October 5th vs. Nashville
The first game of the season, and at home, should be a big enough reason to be excited for this game. But, it also comes against the defending Western Conference Champions, Nashville Predators. This will also be the NHL debut for a few young Bruins, who many are excited for big roles this season.
October 15th at Vegas
A week into the season and the Bruins will be one of the first teams to visit Vegas. In the final game of an early three-game road trip, they take on the Vegas Golden Knights for the first time during their inaugural season.
November 2nd vs. Vegas
It won’t take long for the Golden Knights to come to the Garden either. The Bruins open up the month of November with a three-game home stand, starting with Vegas.
November 10th & 11th home-and-home with Toronto
About a month into the season, the Bruins will have a home-and-home against divisional opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto is coming into this season with high expectations and this match up in back-to-back nights will be a good test for the Bruins. It will be interesting to see how Boston’s rookies have started their respective careers, now a month in, and how they stack up against the young Maple Leaf stars such as Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
November 24th vs. Pittsburgh
The two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions come to the Garden for the traditional Black Friday Matinee. Last season, the Bruins went 1-2 against the Penguins.
December 27th vs. Ottawa
This is the first match-up between these rivals since the Ottawa Senators eliminated Boston from last year’s postseason in the first round. Ottawa was victorious in both the regular season series (4-0) and the first round match-up (4-2). They play again just three days later in Ottawa.
January 17th vs. Montreal
The first match-up against the bitter rivals, Montreal Canadiens, should always be a game to watch. That game happens four days earlier. The 17th marks the Canadiens first trip to the Garden and the inevitable return of former head coach Claude Julien.
April 7th vs. Ottawa
If history continues to repeat itself, the last game of the season will be pretty important for Boston and it’s playoff hopes. Of course this is no easy task as they face Ottawa, who may also be fighting for a playoff position.
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