Conor Ryan spots what the Bruins lost after the Wild rout, and Hagens is at the center of it

Conor Ryan says the Bruins already miss James Hagens, and after Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Wild, it's hard to argue.

Boston has lost two straight and been outscored 11-4 across the Canadiens and Wild games. The rookie wasn't in the lineup for either one.

Hagens, 20, was the seventh overall pick in 2025, and this season he went from prospect to a real piece of the offense. He has 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points in 17 games, with a +7 rating. Here is how the team has done lately with and without him, and Marco Sturm said at practice a week ago that Hagens would be out "a few weeks".

The latest injury report lists Hagens as day-to-day with a back issue, expected out until at least Nov. 21. That's past Tuesday's game against the Kings.

Ryan put the cost in simple terms.

Speed and creativity are what Ryan says is missing. Watch the Bruins try to enter the zone with control and you see it: fewer clean entries, more dump-ins, less happening off the rush.

Jack Studley has the numbers on how it played out Saturday. He wrote that Boston's goaltending and finishing, the two things that carried this team all season, let it down in both recent games.

Studley's expected goals for against the Wild was 4.16, and the Bruins scored 2. Expected goals against was 2.94, and the Wild scored 6, which is 5 without the empty-netter. Jeremy Swayman stopped 19 of 24 shots in the loss.

The power play did score. Fraser Minten beat Jesper Wallstedt with the man advantage, and Sturm defended the unit after the game. The Bruins' official channel also shared a Minten goal it called fire.

Who drives the Bruins offense until Hagens is back?

David Pastrnak had 6 shots on goal and a goal and an assist against Minnesota. He can't be the only one creating chances.

That is where this gets uncomfortable for Sturm. A team 13-6-1 and fourth in the Atlantic isn't in trouble, but the top six has to find some of the pace Hagens gave it, because the Wild played faster and Boston looked a step behind for long stretches.

Hagens' injury timeline gives Boston no quick fix. We also looked at Sturm's lack of an update on Hagens earlier this month, and the situation hasn't changed much since.

The Bruins are off today and practice Monday. Tuesday brings the Kings to TD Garden, a team that has lost four straight and sits 30th in the NHL.

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.