Marat Khusnutdinov has been a bit of a mystery man of sorts since arriving last season from the Minnesota Wild during the flurry of Bruins moves at the NHL trade deadline.
The 23-year-old has a modest seven goals and 18 points in 99 career NHL games and hasn’t nailed down a full-time spot in the Bruins lineup since his arrival in Boston, but there are undeniable flashes of some really high-end talent for the Russian-born forward.
The biggest flash arrived on Thursday night as Khusnutdinov stepped in for an injured Elias Lindholm and scored the overtime game-winner in a 4-3 OT decision in favor of the Black and Gold at TD Garden.
THAT'S AN OT WIN FOR THE BRUINS!! 🐻
— NHL (@NHL) October 31, 2025
Marat Khusnutdinov comes in clutch to win it in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/aiMvWLNGaw
One could tell postgame that it was a big moment for Khusnutdinov, who is trying to push his way into a full-time role with this Bruins team amidst a crowded group of forwards.
“I think the next game is no pressure for me,” said Khusnutdinov with a laugh. “I need to score that first goal of the season and I think the next game it will be a little bit easier for me. It was unbelievable for me. First game on the first line for me and the first goal of the season. It was great for the team and great for me.”
There are a lot of interesting things going on with a Bruins team playing winning hockey in the last couple of games that have coincided with Mason Lohrei being a healthy scratch in favor of Jonathan Aspirot, and Joonas Korpisalo playing in the net in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Korpisalo, for his part, made 37 saves in the victory, has won two straight games, and it sounded like the Bruins coaching staff was mulling the idea of letting him ride the hot hand with Jeremy Swayman coming off the road debacle in Ottawa.
“[Korpisalo] earned the start. That’s why we went back to him and he showed it again today,” said Marco Sturm. “I’ve got to sleep on [a decision on who to start Saturday] and make a decision tomorrow. At the start of the season, I would say ‘no’ because we have so many games and we have the luxury to have two really, really good goaltenders, so I am not sure yet [if we will go with the hot hand].”
Khusnutdinov’s presence has also been a part of that two-game winning streak dynamic, as well, and his impact stepped up when Jordan Greenway blasted Lindholm in the neutral zone with a hit that he clearly didn’t see coming. Lindholm suffered a lower-body injury and was done for the game after 11 shifts and 9:37 of ice time, and Khusnutdinov was thrust into a top-line center spot with David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie.
He responded well with a goal and two points in 15:20 of ice time, three shot attempts, and 4-of-5 faceoff wins, and the winning play when a Fraser Minten steal turned into a three-on-1 OT rush with Khusnutdinov skating down the left wing and burying one top corner against Alex Lyon.
“He’s pretty confident. He was making unbelievable plays as soon they put him on the first line,” said Nikita Zadorov. “He was doing so good up there. He’s keeping the puck and looking for plays. He’s going after every puck and he’s so hungry for it. He’s a good player, so I don’t think that kid is lacking in confidence at all.”
Perhaps part of what has held Khusnutdinov back is his versatility, as he’s a player who can fit in a fourth line role as a speedy, pesky checking forward or as an aggressive top-6 capable of supporting other skilled players with his dogged attacking style on the puck. He’s also a guy who can play center or the wing and was able to really effectively slide over to the middle once Lindholm was done for the game.
But the Russian youngster is winning points with his coach by being able to jump in and make an impact whenever he’s inserted into the lineup, and eventually that, along with games like Thursday night, will keep him in there.
“Since he’s been back [in the lineup], he’s been really good,” said Sturm. “With Elias out, I put him back in the middle and he was excellent too. He’s very fun to watch right now and that’s why I didn’t hesitate to put him out on the 3-on-3 [in overtime].
“The player has to understand that it’s not fun to get scratched, but the player has to be ready when your opportunity comes up. And every time he was scratched, he worked really hard in practice, waited for his opportunity and took advantage. There are players out there, in the past and with other organizations…whatever, that don’t do that, and that’s the difference and why I am so happy with him.
The expectation is that the lower-body injury isn’t a serious one for Lindholm, and eventually, he will slide back into the top center spot alongside David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie. And there doesn’t appear to be room for Khusnutdinov on the second line with Viktor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha gelling there, but Khusnutdinov continues to show more than enough hockey talent to intrigue everybody that there is more than we’ve currently seen from him in a Bruins uniform.
The big mystery is whether we will ever get enough of Khusnutdinov in the B’s lineup to get a true reveal of what he can, and just how good he can be offensively for a team that is looking for a more X-Factor-type players offensively.