🏒😳 Boston’s motto this fall: PUCK IT!

🧀🤤 We have a tortellini-related announcement: We’re opening up our Oct. 14 four-course Supper Club at The Tip Tap Room to EVERYONE. Tickets are just $30, and you can grab up to two here.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

It’s officially stick season in Boston … and we’re not talking about Noah Kahan. The Bruins are kicking off their season TONIGHT against the Washington Capitals at 7:30 p.m. 

Here’s what to know before the puck drops:

🏒 Last season was a bit of a … disaster. Despite high hopes, it quickly became clear the B’s playoff odds were slim, and the front office went nuclear: By mid-season, head coach Jim Montgomery got the boot and captain Brad Marchand was traded. Throw in a flop season from star goalie Jeremy Swayman plus a handful of injuries, and we ended dead last in the Atlantic division, missing the playoffs for just the third time in 18 seasons. Oof.

💪 But this season, it’s all about the D. We’re talking about defense … obviously. The B’s fumbled the bag this offseason when it came to scoring big-name offensive free agents. So, they pivoted to plan B: Double down on defense and bring in super gritty players, which team president Cam Neely referred to as the “piss and vinegar” approach. 

🙏 … Which may or may not work out. Much of the B’s new strategy hinges on a better showing from Swayman (who seems to have gotten his groove back), the return of Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm on the blue line, and our ability to eek out *some* offense. But no matter the expectations, the team has been clear: playoffs are still the goal.

🥳 Win or lose, we’ll have at least one reason to celebrate: The team announced they’ll be retiring longtime Bruins captain Zdeno Chara's No. 33 on Jan. 15, raising his jersey to the rafters. So if the season goes south … just watch this feel-good video on loop.

🏆 So … is a Stanley Cup in our future? Don’t bet on it. But don’t count the B’s out of a postseason appearance, either. Four out of five Globe writers have them nabbing a Wild Card spot. We’ll be seated either way.

📊 Here’s *exactly* how much $$$ Mass. is losing thanks to Trump. This new dashboard from Gov. Healey literally shows a line-item breakdown of how President Trump’s $3.7 billion in funding cuts impact Mass. residents. Here’s a snapshot: 43% of the cuts ($1.6 billion) come from health and human services like SNAP benefits and tax credit programs, 34% ($1.3 billion) come from the state budget, and 9% ($321 million) come from transportation. And there’s plenty more. You can dive into all the cuts here.

🛒 The antidote to $6 eggs: government-run grocery stores. At least, that’s according to city councilors Liz Breadon and Ruthzee Louijeune, who are set to pitch the plan today, an idea popularized by social-media-star-slash-NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. While the details are still TBD, the councilors say the format would help stores to offer cheaper, locally sourced food, which could ease food insecurity as federal cuts put many Bostonians at risk of losing their SNAP benefits, especially in the city’s “food deserts.” 

🧑‍🎓 Want more kids to go to college? Make it free. In its first year offering free tuition for low-income in-state students, UMass enrolled more in-state freshmen than it has in over a decade. Compared to last year, local enrollment was up 11%, and of the total 1,988 local freshmen, 1,014 are receiving free tuition. Though it might seem obvious, these figures are an important indicator that the growing trend of 30+ local schools offering low- or middle-income students discounted tuition is effective. Smith is the latest to hop on the bandwagon.

🍕 October is looking SAUCY. ‘Cause there’s not one, but two epic pizza deals going on right now: All month long, you can nab TWO large cheese pizzas from Sal’s Pizza for just $10 (a $32 value) using code “OCTOBER” in-store or online. Or, if you prefer to work for your pies, through Nov. 23, Bertucci’s is dishing out free pizzas every week for a year if you can finish two slices of its super spicy “Reaper pizza” in under 15 minutes using water only. That’s amore!

Below are some of the hottest local things to do. This month, B-Side members can save more than $150 across our events, in addition to over 60 other awesome perks. 

🍸 Trillium Cocktail Class | Thursday, Oct. 16 | 6-7 p.m. | Trillium Fort Point | $20 non-member | $15 member | Join us at Trillium’s Headroom Lounge for an interactive cocktail experience — sip on your complimentary welcome cocktail while you learn to make two more!

🍻 Arlingtoberfest | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 12-6 p.m. | Arlington Reservoir | FREE | Arlington Brewing Company’s ultimate fall celebration features craft beers, delicious local food, live music, and fun activities for all ages. 

🎭 Hamilton by Broadway in Boston | Now through Nov. 2 | Showtimes vary | Citizen’s Opera House | $250 value | Six lucky B-Side members will win a FREE PAIR of tickets to see Hamilton at Citizen’s Opera House. Become a member, then enter tomorrow!

If you like free money … we have some great news. From Oct. 7 to 11, Stack’s Bower Galleries is giving away tens of thousands of dollars worth of gold coins and historic bank notes to anyone who can find them. 

Here’s the deal: Everyday at 10 a.m., Stack’s will drop a riddle on their Instagram that’ll lead them to a historic Boston landmark. There, you’ll find a certificate that you can redeem for a prize worth up to $3,500. 

Sounds easy, right? Not so fast. If the first clue is any indication, you’ll have to work for that cash: “Where fashion stands in retail grace, / Once stood a store of bygone pace. / Amid the modern, seek the old— / A coin of pine, a cent of gold.” 

Well, at least this dude figured it out.

— Written by Gia Orsino, Emily Schario, and Claire Nicholas

🛍️ Thanks for reading! Our first thought is Newbury Street … anybody else?

🚬 The results are in: Looks like DARE worked on the B-Siders: 73% of you said you’ve never smoked a cigarette. One reader said: “‘No, and I never have,’ unless it was 4 a.m. on the streets of Europe.” Those don’t count anyway!

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