Bruins Schedule Announced Today

Posted by Morry Levine July 17, 2008 at 12:26 pm

The National Hockey League announced the 2008-2009 official season schedule today. The Bruins 2008-2009 schedule will see the team play each Northeast Division opponent six times, each of the other Eastern Conference opponents four times, and every Western Conference opponent at least once, with the exception of Minnesota, Chicago and St. Louis from the West whom the Bruins will each play twice.

The Bruins start their 2008-2009 campaign with a four game road trip where they will visit Colorado, Minnesota, Montreal and Ottawa. The season opener will be against the Avalanche on Thursday, October 9 at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Bruins and Avs did not play each other this past season and their most recent meeting was on March 6, 2007, where the Bruins fell at home 2-0.

Boston’s home opener will take place Monday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. ET against the Stanley Cup Finalist Pittsburgh Penguins. The teams split their four decisions last season, with the final meeting between the two clubs coming on February 28, 2008 in Boston, where the Bruins posted a 5-1 victory.

Boston’s first divisional home game falls on October 23 versus the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00 p.m. ET. Last year the two met a total of eight times, with Boston winning five of the contests.

The second divisional foe to visit TD Banknorth Garden will be the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, November 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The two split their eight contests last season.

The Montreal Canadiens will visit Boston for the first time of the year on Thursday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Despite Montreal sweeping the season-series last season, the Bruins and Canadiens met in the first round of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals last season. The series went all seven games and was finally won by the Habs in Montreal on April 21, 2008. Boston came back from a 3-1 deficit to force a game seven for the first time in franchise history.

Ottawa is the last division opponent to come to Boston when they do so on Thursday, January 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The two split their series last year.

Other season highlights include home contests versus the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, November 29 at 7:00 p.m. ET, a New Year’s Day matchup versus the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:00 p.m. ET and a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day matinee on Monday, January 19 against the St. Louis Blues at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Western Conference teams slated to visit the TD Banknorth Garden this season are the Dallas Stars (11/1), Detroit Red Wings (11/29), Minnesota Wild (1/6), St. Louis Blues (1/19), San Jose Sharks (2/10), Anaheim Ducks (2/26), Phoenix Coyotes (3/5), Chicago Blackhawks (3/7) and the Los Angeles Kings (3/19).