BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning as winners of three games in a row. Boston had a 33-39-10 record overall while going 11-11-4 against opponents from the Atlantic Division last season. The Bruins scored 222 total goals last season, with 35 power-play goals and six shorthanded goals.

They started the season 0-2-0 for just the fifth time in franchise history and the first time in 13 full seasons under head coach Jon Cooper. The last time Tampa Bay started 0-2-0 was 2008-09, beginning Barry Melrose’s failed coaching experiment with the franchise.

The Bruins will look to remain unbeaten when they conclude their three-game homestand with a holiday matinee against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning, who are searching for their first win in three tries. Puck drop is 1 p.m.

The NHL has stepped in with harsh sanctions for the Tampa Bay Lightning after a rowdy outing against the Florida Panthers.

Florida beat Tampa Bay 7-0 in the preseason finale for both clubs Saturday night, though the score was irrelevant. There were 64 penalties for 312 minutes on the stat sheet, including 13 game misconduct penalties — seven for Tampa Bay, six for Florida. Florida had 17 power-play chances in the game, by the NHL's count.

The signature moment of the Lightning’s season comes on Feb. 1, when they face the Boston Bruins in the 2026 NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium. It’ll be Tampa Bay’s second outdoor game in franchise history, and this time they’ll play in front of their home fans in a football stadium built for spectacle.

The Carolina Hurricanes will play in their first "game" of the 2025-26 season tonight after a long summer off. The Canes are opening up their preseason slate, the first of six games, with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Hurricanes will play ...