​Bruins Schedule 2026-27: Breaking Down Best Games Ahead of New NHL Season originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.While the NHL season is still a few months away, Boston Bruins fans can now start pinning important dates on their calendars.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn Thursday, the NHL released its complete schedule for the 2026-27 regular season, the first 84-game campaign in the league’s history. The Bruins will play at TD Garden in one of the three matchups on Opening Night on September 29 when they host the New York Rangers.Throughout the longest NHL season ever, Boston has marquee matchups against Atlantic Division rivals, Eastern Conference powerhouses and Stanley Cup contenders, all with the hope of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again. With notable offseason acquisitions, including the trade for JJ Peterka, Bruins fans have plenty to be excited for as the season approaches.Here is a breakdown of Boston’s schedule, including some of the most notable games.Boston’s Home Opener will serve as a three-game first night for the NHL. The Bruins will look to start their season with a win in front of the home crowd, facing a Rangers team that finished last in the Metropolitan Division last season.Just like Boston, the Rangers made a major trade on draft night, acquiring winger Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and a 2028 conditional first-round pick. New York also traded star center Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 2026 Stanley Cup champions are still riding the high of their second franchise title after a stellar 16-3 postseason run capped by a Game 6 shutout of the Vegas Golden Knights. Led by Conn Smythe winner Jordan Staal and the coaching masterclass of Rod Brind’Amour, Raleigh is the center of the hockey universe.Though they will have to navigate the early portion of the year without star forward Seth Jarvis due to shoulder surgery, the Canes remain the gold standard of depth and defensive structure—and they are primed to raise yet another banner when they host Florida on opening night. Boston will travel to Lenovo Center twice in 2026, playing in one of the best hockey environments.The Panthers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026 in a season plagued by injuries. But the two-time Stanley Cup champions wasted no time announcing their return as a contender, making one of the biggest splashes of the offseason by acquiring Brady Tkachuk to pair with his brother Matthew in Sunrise.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFlorida will enter the season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, aided by the Tkachuk brothers and the return of Aleksander Barkov, who missed all of last year with a knee injury.Toronto figures to be right back in the fold, completely reshaping their identity. After striking gold in the lottery and securing the highly coveted forward Gavin McKenna at No. 1 overa