Need to Know: Bruins vs. Senators

BOSTON –– The Boston Bruins return to Causeway Street on Monday to host the Ottawa Senators for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.

The B’s are coming off a two-game road trip, during which they took two of the four available points, with a win in Winnipeg on Friday and a loss in Minnesota on Saturday.

There will be two new faces in the lineup for the Bruins against Ottawa. Frederic Brunet is coming in on the backend, skating with Mason Lohrei on the third pair. Jonathan Aspirot will sit out.

“I couldn’t wait to get in, and I think starting at home is going to be a good experience for me,” Brunet said. “I think it’s awesome. For me, being a little bit nervous for my first game of the year, playing with Mase, one of my good friends. I think he’s going to be great to calm me down and show me the way a little bit. Mase is awesome; it’s good to start with him.”​

Brunet has played one NHL game (April 15, 2025) and made the main squad out of training camp for the first time since getting selected in the fifth round by Boston in the 2022 draft.

“It’s so much different. I feel like I am part of the team now, and I think it’s just a different approach. I want to stay in the lineup,” Brunet said. “This year is just to prove that I can stick in the lineup.”

Matt Poitras, who was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 27 (date of injury: Sept. 22), will also make his season debut on Monday.

“It was frustrating. Legs felt good, and just kind of one step and I haven’t really dealt with an injury like that during camp before,” Poitras said. “The last couple weeks have been just trying to get healthy and be ready for tonight."

​Poitras will replace Sean Kuraly as the fourth-line center between Mark Kastelic and Tanner Jeannot. The 22-year-old forward skated in three NHL games with the B’s last year and posted one goal.

“I played with them a little bit last year. It’s pretty simple,” Poitras said. “Two guys that work really hard and are hard on the forecheck, so for me it’s just being about the puck. Those guys are going to go to work, and I am going to join them.”

Wait, There’s More

• Jeremy Swayman will start in net for the Bruins. The goaltender has two wins in two games this year with a 1.47 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage. Michael DiPietro made his first start with Boston on Saturday against the Wild and made 26 saves.

• Kastelic is on a three-game point streak, leading all Bruins. The 27-year-old forward has one goal and two assists to start the season. Kastelic remains on the fourth line and the first penalty-kill unit while averaging 11:08 of ice time per night. Kastelic was a fifth-round pick of the Senators in 2019.

• JJ Peterka is one point away from hitting 200 career NHL points; he has a cumulative 94 goals and 105 assists through 323 games. The 24-year-old forward has two goals in three games with the B’s – including the game-winning tally in overtime on Friday against the Jets. He is on the first line with David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm.

Opposing View

• The Senators are coming off a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in their season-opener on Saturday. Thomas Chabot, Michael Amadio and Stephen Halliday scored for Ottawa. Netminder Linus Ullmark made 27 stops on 29 shots.

• Ullmark spent three seasons with the Bruins (2021-24) before getting traded to the Senators in June 2024. The 33-year-old had a 2.73 GAA and .891 SV% through 49 games last year. Samuel Ersson is Ottawa’s other goaltender.

• The Senators named Chabot captain of the team on Tuesday. The 29-year-old defenseman, and longest-tenured player in Ottawa, replaces Brady Tkachuk, who was traded to the Florida Panthers in June. Chabot posted 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists) through 57 games last season.