Boston’s special teams were a disaster last season — ranking near the bottom of the NHL on both the power play and penalty kill — and it cost them any shot at competing. On today’s Locked On Boston Bruins, Ian McLaren breaks down just how badly those struggles hurt the team’s goal differential and standings, and why improvement is non-negotiable in 2025-26.

He also examines how new head coach Marco Sturm and assistant coach Steve Spott plan to overhaul the offense and special teams, highlighting how players like David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, and Mason Lohrei could be deployed in new roles. Plus, with the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo around the corner, McLaren spotlights Fraser Minten as Boston’s most intriguing young player to watch.

It’s a deep dive into what went wrong, what needs to change, and why fixing special teams is the key to a true redemption season for the Bruins.

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