Jeremy Swayman will start in net for Boston on Thursday night, giving the Bruins a confirmed edge in goal as they open the first of four meetings with the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden. The game starts at 7 p.m. and brings the two Original Six rivals into their first matchup of the regular season.
That matters because Boston enters with a four-game win streak and a one-point lead in the Atlantic Division, 27 points to Montreal’s 26. The setup makes this more than an early-season meeting; it is a direct check on two teams sitting at the top of the division and a chance for the Bruins to keep their place there.
The night will be dressed up like a homecoming, with the Causeway University Homecoming Game theme, a performance from the Northeastern Pep Band and the debut of the Bruins’ Hometown Remix “Varsity Sweaters.” For Boston, the atmosphere fits the standings race. For Montreal, it is another early test against a team it is chasing.
Frederic Brunet gives the game its sharpest edge. The 23-year-old defenseman from Gatineau, Quebec, will face his hometown team for the first time in his career, skating on the third pair with Mason Lohrei after five points in 12 games. He spent three seasons in the AHL with Providence before his rookie campaign, and the Bruins chose him in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
That history is what makes his view of the matchup stand out. Brunet grew up watching the Canadiens and calls them one of Boston’s biggest rivals, but he also knows where he is now. His best memory at the Bell Center is the night he was drafted by the Bruins, and he has said the only thing he wants to do against Montreal is beat them. With the puck set to drop Thursday, Boston’s choice in goal is settled; the rest of the night will be about whether the Bruins can back it up and keep the division pressure where they want it.
