Boston Bruins
“I think that’s the identity we want to bring back to Boston.”
Nikita Zadorov doesn’t need any added motivation or encouragement when it comes to doling out punishment out on the ice.
The 6-foot-7 defenseman was a menace during back-to-back wins over the Maple Leafs on Saturday and Tuesday — with two Toronto skaters in Auston Matthews and Scott Laughton leaving those games after colliding with the imposing Bruins skater.
Add in Zadorov’s willingness to scrap with several other Toronto skaters — be it drawing a penalty on Max Domi or objecting to a knee-on-knee hit delivered by Sammy Blais against Charlie McAvoy — and the blueliner’s physical approach has been evident throughout his tenure with Boston.
It’s an identity that Zadorov believes that the the rest of his Bruins’ teammates are starting to embrace — one that harkens back to the punishing approach that the 2010-11 Bruins carried all the way to a Stanley Cup title.
During a pregame chat at ice level with TNT prior to Tuesday’s 5-3 win, Zadorov said that he has been watching highlights from that 2010-11 Bruins squad — who could present the identity template that this current roster must follow if they want to be tough out this winter.
“I think it’s everybody, honestly, not only me,” Zadorov said of Boston being tougher to play against. “It was funny. Before the game, I was scrolling through my YouTube and then I saw the highlights from the Stanley Cup Final games in 2011 against Vancouver. I watched all of them, and it was a nasty, a really physical, really hard to play against team.
“So I think that’s the identity we want to bring back to Boston. I think every guy has bought in in so far this year, and we just want to be really tough to play against and nasty to play against. I just go out there and try to do my job, and I know all my other guys have my back for it.”
The Bruins have seemingly responded under Marco Sturm over the last few weeks — winning eight out of their last nine games while clamping down defensively and finding several new avenues of offense with an eighth-ranked power play.
But beyond strides made down both ends of the ice, Sturm has been impressed with the buy-in from a Bruins team that has shown a willingness to drag each other into the fight — while also defending their teammates.
Beyond Zadorov and Geekie coming to McAvoy’s defense on Tuesday, 5-foot-9 center Marat Khusnutdinov was also the first man in on a scrum against Toronto after he objected to a late hit from Bobby McMann that caught Hampus Lindholm up high.
“They want to send a message,” Sturm said postgame of the Leafs. “They want to get everyone going. … [The] nice part about our team right now — if one guy says something, from the other team, we have the whole bench standing up. … They can play that game, But we’re well-prepared for that, that’s for sure.”
Loose pucks
Tuesday marked a homecoming of sorts for Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo — who played the first nine seasons of his career with Boston before getting dealt to Toronto in March 2025.
Carlo received a video tribute at TD Garden during the first period of play, with the 6-foot-5 blueliner saluting the crowd with several waves. Carlo — drafted in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft by Boston — appeared in 617 career games with the Bruins, which stands as the 11th most by a Bruins D-man.
“This city means a lot to me,” Carlo said after Tuesday’s morning skate at TD Garden. “I feel like I grew up here, in a way. I was young when I came in. Met a lot of special people in this city. Have some great friendships. But overall it was a big honor to be a part of this organization and to be a part of this city for sure. I feel lucky for that chapter I had in my life.”
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The Bruins had an early start to their day on Monday, as Boston’s roster made a stop by a nearby Target in Watertown for the team’s annual holiday toy shopping event. As part of the yearly event, Boston’s full roster purchased toys totalling more than $20,000 in combined donations between the players and the Boston Bruins Foundation.
The toys that the Bruins players selected will be given as gifts to children in local hospitals who won’t be able to celebrate the holiday season at home.
“I definitely skew more towards things I think I would have liked as a kid,” Sean Kuraly said of his shopping list. “A lot of Legos. But it’s a fun time to try and give back and make someone else’s Christmas a little bit better.”
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