Boston Bruins – Boston’s special teams continue to struggle as the Bruins remain scoreless on ten power-play opportunities to open the season, culminating in a 4-1 loss to the Senators.
The silence in the locker room said as much as the scoreboard at TD Garden. After a disjointed 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday, Boston head coach Marco Sturm stood before reporters and offered the only honest assessment he could muster: he simply didn’t have the answers.
“I can’t give you an answer right now, honestly,” Sturm said. “Honestly, I have no idea why. I really don’t.”
For a team that entered the season with high expectations, the early returns have been sobering. Through four games, the Bruins are a staggering 0-for-10 on the power play. While Sturm had expressed optimism about the team’s 5-on-5 play during the first week. Monday’s performance felt like a regression. Nikita Zadorov, reflecting on the team’s lethargic start, did not mince words: “We dropped the ball at home. Didn’t come ready to play today. You can see it from the first minute of the game. I don’t know why.”.
The breakdown was particularly glaring against Ottawa. Not only did Boston fail to capitalize on any of its four man-advantage opportunities. but they also surrendered a shorthanded goal to Tim Stützle. Stützle struck again just seconds after a separate penalty expired, exposing a unit that looked increasingly vulnerable. In 17:45 of total power play time this season. the Bruins have managed just two high-danger scoring chances while conceding one of their own.
“Lack of confidence,” David Pastrnak said. “Puck is bouncing, whether it’s with the hands or confidence. Have to be more direct. We have to recover pucks. We’re one and done.”
The struggle marks a sharp decline from last season. when the Bruins boasted the league’s ninth-ranked power play at 23.4 percent. That success was heavily anchored by a hot streak between October 2025 and early February 2026. when they operated at a 26.3 percent clip. However, since returning from the 2026 Olympic break, the team has hit a wall, converting at just 14.1 percent.
Pastrnak’s own turnover sparked one of Stützle’s goals. and a pass from Hampus Lindholm set up the second. highlighting the hesitation currently gripping the roster. For Sturm, the frustration is compounded by a sense of urgency. Having already tried to shuffle combinations, he acknowledged that the effort on Monday was fundamentally lacking.
“The head was not there today. It wasn’t,” Sturm said. “We made a lot of mistakes we didn’t do, power play, you name it. So I tried to change things, but I knew right away we’re not going anywhere today.”
As the boos echoed through Causeway Street, the path forward remains unclear. The team that once relied on its special teams as a reliable engine is now searching for a spark that, so far, has failed to ignite.
Boston Bruins Marco Sturm NHL Ottawa Senators David Pastrnak power play struggles hockey news