On March 23, the Boston Bruins looked like they were going to let their Stanley Cup playoff chances slip away. Mired in a four-game losing streak, the B’s chances of making the playoffs looked slim.
But the Bruins have responded by winning five in a row, the latest of which was a 3-2 road victory over the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. That win has vaulted the Bruins into second place in the Atlantic Division, ahead of the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, with three games remaining.
Boston now has 92 points and can clinch a postseason berth with a regulation victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday at TD Garden.
The Lightning trail the Senators by five points for the second wild-card spot heading into their Sunday night tilt with the Dallas Stars, and if the Lightning get one point or lose Sunday night, then any type of win by the B’s on Tuesday will put them into the playoffs.
While the B’s are one point up on the Senators and Maple Leafs, both Ottawa and Toronto have five games remaining whereas the Bruins have only three. Boston will finish out the regular season with three games on home ice against the Lightning, Senators and Washington Capitals.
Boston can clinch a berth in the playoffs by going at least 1-0-2 over those final three games. If the B’s collect less than four points over their final three games, however, things could get interesting depending on how the Senators, Lightning and Maple Leafs finish out the year.
If the season ended today, the B’s would face Toronto in the first round of the playoffs. That’s not exactly good news for Boston as the Maple Leafs swept the season series with the Bruins and outscored them 18-9. But Boston can clinch home ice in the first round with a strong finish over its final three games. The B’s are 10-3-0 at home under interim head coach Bruce Cassidy, so that could make all the difference in a first-round series against the Maple Leafs.
The B’s recent hot streak has them on the cusp of making the playoffs for the first time since 2014. And the Bruins can clinch a berth Tuesday against the Lightning.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
