Bad Timing? Bruins Believe Long Road Trip Could Have Benefits

BOSTON — The Bruins won’t return to TD Garden until Dec. 21, but they don’t seem too worried about that.

It’s actually being viewed as a positive.

Boston will add plenty of frequent flyer miles over the next two weeks, with matchups against the Winnipeg Jets, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers making up their five-game road trip. Winnipeg — that first stop — is expected to be hitting temperatures in the single digits over the next few days.

Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco isn’t phased, though, and believes the roadie might actually be coming at a good time for his club.

“I think it probably is (good timing),” Sacco said following Saturday’s victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. “We talked about trying to get this win right before we left for the road, which was an important thing for us. We’re going to have a good test going out west, facing some good, solid hockey teams. It’s a good time for us, with the way we’re playing right now; we’re going to get tested to see how our game is on the road.

“I think that’s a true sign of the identity of your team: how you play on the road. It’ll be good to get out there.”

The Bruins won’t just be playing hockey, though. It’s an opportunity for the club to settle in and build camaraderie ahead of what essentially becomes a new season when the calendar flips.

“It’s a long one. It’s only once a year, though,” McAvoy said. “… We’ll get out there and we’ll enjoy each other’s company on the road — these trips are a good opportunity for us to have some experiences. We have a couple of days in Calgary, so we’re thinking about going to Banff (National Park) or something like that.

“It’s nice on the road. We can go see some stuff, and we’ll come together on this trip.”