No matter what round of the playoffs, even if it is the Stanley Cup Finals, the Boston Bruins will have the home ice advantage.
The Bruins secured that luxury Thursday when a David Pastrnak overtime goal off a feed from Hampus Lindolhm lifted Boston to a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden. The victory notched a franchise record for wins in a season for the Bruins as well as the Presidents’ Trophy.
The significance of taking care of business in the regular season and obtaining home ice advantage throughout the postseason wasn’t lost on first-year Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, especially with Boston sporting a pristine 31-4-3 record on Causeway Street this season.
“I think it’s really important,” Montgomery told reporters. “You look at our home record, you look at how much we love playing in front of the rabid Bruins fans, teams aren’t going to look forward to coming in here.”
The opposition certainly hasn’t enjoyed visiting TD Garden yet this season and Montgomery hopes that trend will continue come the postseason.
The Bruins played just three home games in last season’s playoffs as they fell in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. But Boston won the trio of home contests by a combined 14-6 margin, showcasing just how tough they can be on home ice in the playoffs.
And with a stronger team this season, the task of trying to beat the Bruins at TD Garden in the postseason should be an even tougher task for opponents.
