Bruins at Penguins Game Preview: Brunet Returns, Hagens Breaks Out
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Riding two consecutive post-regulation wins, the Boston Bruins (11-4-1) return to action on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins (5-8-2) at PPG Paints Arena.
After Elias Lindholm fired in the overtime winner against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, and David Pastrnak potted the clinching shootout goal against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, Boston had two days off to reset ahead of its visit to Pittsburgh.
There’s two projected changes to the Bruins’ lineup, one remaining a game-time decision. Matthew Poitras was forced out of the Vegas game with a broken nose, and his status will be decided pregame. If he can’t go, Sean Kuraly will take over at fourth-line center.
The other alteration will be the reinsertion of rookie defenseman Frederic Brunet into the fold, replacing Jonathan Aspirot. Brunet has impressed with a goal and three assists in his 10 appearances this season, but has been scratched for the last three games.
“It’s weird to be out of the lineup for a week or so,” Brunet said on Wednesday. “You’re traveling with the team, you’re with the boys and stuff. But, I think just being upstairs and watching the game from up top, you can take a lot of stuff and I think I did a pretty good job of that.”
Sturm was unhappy with Brunet’s performances across his previous three games, so the benching was designed as a reminder for a young player that it’s a hard league. His coach witnessed him “in the scene of the crime a little bit too much,” and decided it was time for a reset.
The Bruins are enjoying the recent scoring form of another rookie, James Hagens. Hagens has netted three goals in his last five contests, and his six goals on the season places him second in the NHL on the rookie goal-scoring leaderboard.
Morgan Geekie, who scored 39 goals last season, has now scored in back-to-back games. The second-line winger had only scored one goal in 14 games previously, so Boston hopes that he can become a frequent presence on the stat sheet once again.
For Pittsburgh, it’s been a struggle as of late. The Penguins have lost three straight, all by a single goal. Evgeni Malkin leads the team with six goals and is questionable with a lower body injury, but he might be good to go after practicing with contact on Wednesday.
They sit tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with just 12 points. Nick Robertson is tied for the team-lead with six goals of his own, and the 39-year-old Sidney Crosby has amassed 10 goals (4 goals, 6 assists) thus far.
The Bruins look to extend their lead atop the Atlantic Division in the first of three 2026-27 matchups against Pittsburgh.
Bruins at Penguins Game Information
Who: Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins
When: Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Series: 0-0
Last Meeting: March 8, Penguins won 5-4
How To Watch Bruins at Penguins
TV: NESN (Boston), SportsNet Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (Boston), 105.9 The X (Pittsburgh)
Betting Odds for Bruins at Penguins
Spread: Bruins -1.5
Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Source: DraftKings Sportsbook
- Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
- If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Projected Lines: Bruins at Penguins
Bruins:
JJ Peterka -- Pavel Zacha -- David Pastrnak
Marat Khusnutdinov -- Fraser Minten -- Morgan Geekie
Casey Mittelstadt -- Elias Lindholm -- James Hagens
Tanner Jeannot -- Sean Kuraly -- Mark Kastelic
Hampus Lindholm -- Charlie McAvoy
Nikita Zadorov -- Will Borgen
Frederic Brunet -- Mason Lohrei
Jeremy Swayman
Michael DiPietro
Penguins:
Tommy Novak -- Sidney Crosby -- Rickard Rakell
Egor Chinakhov -- Ben Kindel -- Evgeni Malkin
Ville Koivunen -- Hendrix Lapierre -- Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte -- Nick Robertson
Samuel Girard -- Erik Karlsson
Spencer Stastney -- Kaedan Korczak
Declan Carlile -- Kris Letang
Arturs Silovs
Sergei Murashov
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Cameron Pellegrino is pursuing a major in sports journalism and minoring in sociology at UMass Amherst. He worked as a sports correspondent and co-op for The Boston Globe and writes for the UMass Journalism Department's website. He has contributed to Boston College Eagles On SI, in addition to the UMass' student-run paper, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, covering football and both men's and women's basketball, among other sports. Cam is originally from Rhode Island, where he has also covered high school basketball for the New England Basketball Journal.
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