The Kids Did It Again: Hagens, Brunet and Poitras Lead Comeback Win in Anaheim, 4-2

By Soapz · Oct 17, 2026

Okay, B's fans, raise your hand if you went to bed after the first period. No judgment here. It was a 10 p.m. puck drop on the East Coast, the Bruins were down 2-0, and the couch was looking real comfy. But if you bailed, oh boy, did you miss a good one. Boston scored four unanswered goals and beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Friday night at Honda Center.

That's four wins in a row. The Black and Gold are 6-2-0 through eight games, and they've won the first two games of this four-game road trip. And just like the headline says, the kids did it again. James Hagens set up two goals. Frederic Brunet scored his first NHL goal to start the comeback. Matthew Poitras buried the insurance goal that put it away. Michael DiPietro got his first win of the season in net. The veterans did their part too, and we'll get to them, but this one had a young heartbeat.

So grab a coffee, or whatever's left of it, because we're going to go through this one slowly. Period by period, kid by kid, and then a big-picture chat about what all this youth means for where this team is going. Let's get into it.

First period: a rough 21 seconds

We have to start with the ugly part, so let's rip the bandage off. The first period was a grind. Anaheim came out flying, and the Ducks outshot Boston 14-7 in the frame. The Bruins were chasing the puck more than they wanted to, and you could tell the Ducks had some jump in their legs at home.

The good news early was the penalty kill. Nikita Zadorov went off for tripping just 1:14 into the game, and the PK handled it without much drama. That set the tone for a special-teams night that ended up deciding the whole thing. DiPietro was calm and square through most of the period, and for about 19 minutes it looked like we'd get to the room at 0-0 and regroup.

Then came the worst 21 seconds of the night. At 19:22, Tim Washe beat DiPietro with a wrist shot, with Jackson LaCombe and Tristan Luneau on the assists. Before anyone could catch their breath, Beckett Sennecke tipped one in at 19:43, set up by Nikita Nesterenko and Cutter Gauthier. Two goals in the final 38 seconds of the period. Two goals in 21 seconds.

Look, that's a gut punch. Giving up two goals that late in a period, on the road, in the second game of a long trip, is the kind of thing that can sink a team. Plenty of groups pack it in right there. This group didn't, and honestly, that's the story of the night more than any single goal.

Second period: Brunet lights the fuse

Whatever got said in that intermission worked, because the Bruins came out with a different attitude. Tyson Hinds went off for holding at 1:34 of the second, and the power play went to work. At 3:15, Hagens and captain David Pastrnak moved it around, the puck found Frederic Brunet up top, and the young defenseman snapped it home. That's 2-1, and it's his first NHL goal. A puck he gets to keep forever.

That goal changed the feel of the game right away. Suddenly it was a one-goal game, and the Ducks didn't look nearly as comfortable. The rest of the period was a battle. Will Borgen took a tripping penalty at 9:24, and the PK killed that one too. The two teams traded chances, DiPietro stayed sharp, and the score held at 2-1.

Then, with one minute left in the period, things got spicy. Zadorov was called for elbowing and roughing at 19:00, a double minor, so the Bruins had to kill four minutes. They killed the last minute of the second, went to the room, and came out for the third still shorthanded. That's a big ask on the road while you're down a goal. More on that in a minute, because it might have been the most important stretch of the game.

Third period: the Bruins take over

The third period was everything you want from this team. Boston killed off the rest of the Zadorov penalty, and then the Ducks' Roger McQueen went to the box for interference at 2:22. That made it 4-on-4 for a bit, and once Zadorov's time ran out, the Bruins had a power play of their own. They didn't waste it. At 3:26, Pastrnak got to the front and tied the game 2-2 with a backhand in close, with Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha on the assists. That's our captain, everybody. You could feel the bench light up.

A few minutes later, Nikita Klepov went off for hooking at 7:34, and the power play struck again. At 8:18, Elias Lindholm parked himself right on the doorstep and tipped one in, with Zacha and Morgan Geekie getting the assists. That's 3-2 Bruins, their first lead of the night, and it ended up being the game-winning goal. Three power-play goals on four chances. When this unit is moving the puck like that, it's an absolute joy to watch.

Geekie took a hooking call at 11:19, which gave the Ducks a chance to tie it, and the PK said no thanks again. Then the kids put the game away. At 16:20, Hagens found Poitras right in front of the net, and Poitras finished it with a backhand to make it 4-2. Even strength, too, the only five-on-five goal Boston scored all night. McQueen took another interference call at 17:43, Anaheim pulled its goalie for an extra attacker in the final seconds, and JJ Peterka took a tripping call right as time ran out. None of it mattered. Final score, 4-2 Bruins.

The numbers tell you how the third went. Boston outshot Anaheim 8-4 in the period and outscored them 3-0. After getting pushed around for most of the first, the Bruins took the game over and didn't give it back.

Special teams won this game

We already put it in the stat box, but it deserves its own section. The Bruins went 3-for-4 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. Every single Boston goal came on the power play except Poitras's insurance goal.

The penalty kill is the unsung part of this one. Five times shorthanded, zero goals against. The big one was that Zadorov double minor. Down 2-1, on the road, with four minutes to kill across the end of the second and the start of the third. If Anaheim scores there, it's 3-1 and this is probably a very different recap. Instead, the Bruins got through it, the Ducks took a penalty of their own, and Pastrnak tied it up minutes later. That's a huge swing in momentum, and it was earned by guys blocking shots and clearing pucks.

And they blocked a lot of shots. Boston had 18 blocks to Anaheim's seven. Hampus Lindholm and Brunet had three each, and Hagens and Charlie McAvoy had two apiece. McAvoy led the team with 26:54 of ice time, and Hampus Lindholm was right behind him at 25:51. Those two ate a ton of hard minutes. That's how you win on the road when the other team is pushing: you get in the way, you take the hit, and you clear the puck.

The faceoff circle was a big part of it too. Boston won 40 of 58 draws, which is 69%. Elias Lindholm was a monster at 78%, Zacha won 64% and Geekie won 60%. When you start with the puck that often, especially on the power play, you spend a lot less time chasing it.

The Kids

Alright, this is the part we've been waiting for. The headline says the kids did it again, so let's go through them one at a time.

Frederic Brunet: first NHL goal

Let's start with the guy who started the comeback. Brunet's power-play snap shot at 3:15 of the second was the first goal of his NHL career, and it came at exactly the right time, with the team down two and looking for a spark. He played 13:58 over 19 shifts, put two shots on net and blocked three shots. That's a complete night from a 23-year-old defenseman playing just his fifth game of the season.

What we love about Brunet is that he doesn't try to do too much. He's been steady and quiet on the back end, making the simple play. On Friday he got rewarded for it. He now has a goal and an assist on the season, and somewhere his family is losing their minds. Honestly, so are we.

James Hagens: two assists, third star

Hagens was named the third star of the game, and he earned it. The 19-year-old played just 10:03 over 14 shifts and still made a difference: two assists, two shots, two blocked shots and a plus-1. He set up Brunet's goal to start the comeback and Poitras's goal to finish it. Book-ending a comeback like that, in limited minutes, as a teenager? That's special.

He's up to two goals and four assists through eight games. If you read our column on him, you know we think he's going to be a star in this league. Nights like this are why. He doesn't need a ton of ice time to make something happen, and every week he looks more and more like he belongs.

Matthew Poitras: the insurance goal

Lindholm's goal was the winner, but Poitras's goal was the one that let everyone breathe. At 16:20 of the third, he got to the front of the net and finished a backhand off a Hagens feed to make it 4-2. He played 9:18 over 14 shifts and had two shots. That's three goals in five games this season for the 22-year-old.

We've all been waiting to see Poitras put it together at this level, and he's doing it right now. He and Hagens clearly see the ice the same way, and that's a combo we'd love to see a lot more of.

Fraser Minten: winning the little battles

Our guy Minten didn't get on the scoresheet, and that's totally fine. He played 17:05 over 22 shifts, won about 64% of his faceoffs, and put two shots on net. On a night when Boston dominated the dot, Minten was a big part of that. He finished minus-1, and he'd be the first to tell you he wants more, but the trust from the coaching staff is obvious in those minutes.

He's still leading the team with four goals through eight games, and he has seven points. Not every night is a two-goal night. Some nights you win draws, play heavy minutes and help your team win anyway. That's what good centers do.

Mason Lohrei: steady minutes

Lohrei played 15:21 over 20 shifts and picked up a takeaway. It wasn't his loudest game, and he'd probably want a couple of puck decisions back, but he held his own in a game where the defense was under a lot of pressure early. He's got two goals and five points on the season, and he keeps being a big part of what this blue line does with the puck.

Marat Khusnutdinov: middle-six motor

Khusnutdinov did what he always does: he worked. He played 14:35 over 22 shifts and had two shots and two hits. He's a middle-six forward who makes life hard for the other team, and that's exactly the job. He didn't get a point on Friday, but his line with Minten keeps driving play, and he's going to keep getting rewarded for that over a long season.

DiPietro gets his first win

Michael DiPietro got the start with Jeremy Swayman resting, and he was exactly what this team needed. He stopped 25 of 27 shots, including both Anaheim power-play shots he faced. The two goals he allowed came in that late first-period burst, and after that he shut the door for the final 40 minutes. Anaheim threw 13 more shots at him over the second and third periods, and none of them went in.

It was his first win of the season, after a tough start against Minnesota earlier this month. Backup goalies who step in on a road trip and give you a night like that are worth their weight in gold. Black and gold, specifically. It also means Sway gets a breather, which matters with a back-to-back.

The veterans held it together

As much as we're gushing about the kids, they had plenty of help. Pastrnak was the first star with a goal and an assist, and he now has three goals and seven assists on the season. Elias Lindholm scored the game-winner, added an assist and owned the faceoff circle. Zacha had two assists on the power play. Geekie had an assist and won 60% of his draws. McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm logged huge minutes on the back end.

And Zadorov threw six hits, the most of anyone on the team. Yes, he also took the double minor, but the PK bailed him out, and the Ducks definitely knew he was on the ice. Anaheim outhit Boston 23-11 and outshot them 27-22 overall, but the Bruins were the ones who made the most of their chances.

What the youth movement means for this team

Okay, let's zoom out, because this is the part we really wanted to talk about. Friday's win wasn't a one-off. Through eight games, the young guys on this team are a big reason Boston is 6-2-0. Minten leads the team in goals. Hagens has six points as a 19-year-old. Poitras has three goals in five games. Brunet just scored his first. Lohrei is producing from the back end. Khusnutdinov is a reliable middle-six piece. That's not a couple of kids getting lucky. That's a young core growing up in real time.

Growing up next to the right veterans

What makes this exciting is that the kids aren't carrying the team alone. They're developing next to Pastrnak, McAvoy, Elias Lindholm, Hampus Lindholm and Zacha. That's a veteran group that can still play at a high level, and it gives the young guys room to make mistakes and learn without the whole season riding on them.

Friday was a perfect example of how that works. The veterans ran the power play and soaked up the hard minutes, and the kids made the plays that started and finished the comeback. Pastrnak and Hagens were on the ice together for Brunet's goal. That's the kind of mix you dream about: a captain in his prime helping a teenager and a young defenseman get on the board.

An identity shift

For a long time, Bruins hockey meant a veteran team built to win right now. This version feels different. It's younger, it's faster, and it plays with a little bit of fearlessness. The kids don't seem to know they're supposed to be nervous. That changes the whole personality of the team. It's still the Bruins, still hard to play against and still willing to block shots and kill penalties. But now there's a group of players who might be getting better every single month, and that's a fun thing to watch as a fan.

Composure, not just talent

Here's the part that impressed us most on Friday. Down 2-0 after giving up two goals in 21 seconds, on the road, the young guys didn't get rattled. Brunet stepped into a power-play shot like a guy who's been doing it for years. Hagens kept making plays in limited minutes. Poitras went to the front of the net with the game on the line. Young teams usually crack in that spot. This one got calmer.

You can't teach that easily. Talent gets you to the NHL, but composure keeps you there, and it's what wins in April and May. Seeing it from this group in October is a really good sign.

The window is opening, not closing

A lot of people figured the Bruins would have to take a step back at some point. With this young core, the window doesn't look like it's closing at all. It might be getting bigger. Hagens is 19. Minten and Poitras are 22. Brunet is 23. Khusnutdinov is 24 and Lohrei is 25. Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm are signed through 2031, and McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm through 2030. If the kids keep growing at this rate, this team could be good now and better in two or three years.

The cap value is a cheat code

Here's where it gets really fun for the front office. Right now, the six young players we've been talking about count for roughly $7.7 million on the cap combined. Minten is at $879K, Hagens is at $986K, Brunet is at $875K, Poitras is at $850K, Khusnutdinov is at $925K, and Lohrei is at $3.2 million. For comparison, Pastrnak's deal alone is $11.25 million. Getting real production from players on cheap deals is how good teams stay good, because it frees up money to keep the stars and add pieces around them.

Of course, cheap deals don't last forever. Minten already has an extension that kicks in next season, and Lohrei and Khusnutdinov are both restricted free agents with arbitration rights this summer. If you read our Pay Them Now column, you already know where we stand: lock them up before somebody else sets the price. Every night like Friday just makes that case stronger. But the bigger point is that the Bruins are getting a lot of bang for their buck right now, and that's a big advantage to have while the kids keep improving.

Looking ahead: the Kings, tonight

No rest for the weary. This is a back-to-back, so the Bruins head up the road to Los Angeles to face the Kings tonight at 9 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena, on NESN. The Kings are off to a rough start at 0-3-2 and are still looking for their first win, so you know they'll come out desperate. That's exactly the kind of game where a team riding a four-game winning streak can get caught napping, so let's hope the guys bring the same focus they had in the third period on Friday.

Things to watch: Does Sway get the net back after DiPietro's win? Can the power play keep this hot streak going? Do Hagens and Poitras keep cooking together? And can Minten get back on the scoresheet? After LA, the trip wraps up in Dallas on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, and then it's home to TD Garden to face Nashville on Thursday.

Our takeaways

The kids are driving this team. A first NHL goal from Brunet, the insurance goal from Poitras and two assists from Hagens. This young core keeps showing up when it counts. Special teams won the game. 3-for-4 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the kill, including the Zadorov double minor. The veterans make it work. Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, Zacha and the top defensemen gave the kids the structure to shine. This team doesn't panic. Down 2-0 on the road after a rough first, the Bruins stayed with it and took over. That's a great sign for a long season, and an even better sign for the years after it.

Four in a row. Let's make it five tonight, B's fans. 🐻

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