The good news after the Boston Bruins 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon was that the out-of-town scoreboard went the Bruins way later in the day. Regulation losses by the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings secured the Bruins’ post in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, it came with a catch.
New York’s loss to the surging Ottawa Senators meant they jumped the Black and Gold in the Eastern Conference standings for the first wild-card spot, as they own the tiebreaker. That is significant when it comes to seeding at the end of the regular season.
However, after both teams got into the playoffs thanks to New Jersey on Saturday night, things took a turn on Sunday night with both teams rolling out lineups that were mixed with regulars and other players. Those lineup changes affected the results on the ice and also the standings.
Bruins playoff opponent hinges on Tuesday night’s result
Facing a desperate Columbus Blue Jackets team on Sunday night that needed a win to stay in the race for the final Metropolitan Division spot and a first-round date with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Jackets fell, 3-2, to a Boston squad that had backups and James Hagens making his NHL debut. In fact, Sean Kurlay, Henri Jokiharju, and Mark Kastelic scored the Bruins’ goals. Not exactly their top goal scorers.
That was likely the loss that keeps Columbus out of the playoffs, but mathematically, they still have a very long shot. The win moved Boston to 98 points and one point ahead of the Senators, who also rolled out a lineup that was not fully healthy, and they lost, 4-3, in overtime to the Devils. They have 97 points.
So who could Boston play in the first round? This is where things stand with one game remaining. A win in any fashion over the Devils on Tuesday night matches the Black and Gold up with the winner of the Atlantic Division. A loss of any kind and a Senators win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night drops Boston to a first-round matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes. There is so much left to be determined with one regular-season game remaining.
