The Gauntlet 2025-26 · Quarterfinals
The Bruins douse the Red Wings
Bruins 3, Red Wings 2
November 29, 2025. The Boston Bruins went out in the final, smothered by the Seattle Kraken.
Every round of the 2025-26 Gauntlet
Flamekeeper
Casey Mittelstadt
He scored the only goal of the shootout and set up Morgan Geekie's power-play goal at 13:39 of the 3rd.
Mittelstadt's lone shootout goal burns the Bruins on
One goal in five
Five shootout attempts settled a Gauntlet quarterfinal at TD Garden, and only one found the net: Casey Mittelstadt's. The Boston Bruins burned on. The Detroit Red Wings went dark, and four flames were left on the shelf.
Both had earned their place. Detroit had snuffed the Maple Leafs on qualification night and the Panthers in the round of 16. Boston had doused the Sabres and the Hurricanes. The Bruins finished 28th of 32 last season, and their last Gauntlet quarterfinal, in 2023-24, ended against the New Jersey Devils.
Geekie strikes twice
Boston killed off minors to Jonathan Aspirot and Nikita Zadorov in the 1st, and Mark Kastelic and Moritz Seider dropped the gloves at 19:35. Morgan Geekie tipped in an Elias Lindholm feed at 4:25 of the 2nd. Lucas Raymond answered with a tip-in at 6:38 of the 3rd, 22:13 after the opener. Then Ben Chiarot went off for high sticking at 13:12, and Geekie snapped home a power-play goal at 13:39.
Detroit pulled Cam Talbot for an extra attacker. Michael Rasmussen tipped in a Patrick Kane feed at 18:06, with 1:54 left, and it was level again.
Swayman shuts the door
Overtime brought no goals, even with Elias Lindholm off for hooking at 1:24. Jeremy Swayman, who stopped 24 of 26 shots, then held the shootout. Raymond, Kane and Alex DeBrincat all came up empty. Mittelstadt scored on Boston's first try, so Geekie's miss made no difference. Detroit's candle went cold.
What is the Gauntlet?
A proposal for an NHL in-season tournament. All 32 teams start alive, every Gauntlet game is a game already on the regular-season schedule, and lose one and you are out.