The Boston Bruins’ clinching scenario for the 2026 NHL playoffs is clear. Boston will hit the ice in a Saturday matinee against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
All the Bruins have to do to lock in their path to the postseason is defeat the Bolts in any fashion. So, a regulation, overtime, or shootout win will work.
However, that may not be quite so simple. The Bruins are currently riding a four-game skid. Plus, the club is a pedestrian 5-3-2 in its last 10. While the B’s have pulled out some loser points, things need to turn around.
During the four-game slide, the Bruins have dropped two overtime decisions. Their last game was a 6-5 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Last Sunday, Boston coughed up a hairball against the Philadelphia Flyers, in a 2-1 OT loss.
The night before, the Lightning outplayed Boston in a 3-1 regulation loss. And that complicated the Bruins clinching scenario.
That’s the game that Bruins fans should keep an eye on. Boston took a 1-0 lead into the third period, after getting a second-period tally from Casey Mittelstadt. However, the Lightning turned the game around in the third.
The Bolts tied the game early in the third, then took the lead with about five minutes to go. They added an empty-netter to seal the victory.
That’s something that cannot happen on Saturday afternoon. Boston cannot afford to cough up another third-period lead. There is just too much at stake for this Bruins’ clinching scenario. All they have to do is win, and they’re in.
Bruins Clinching Scenario Gets Complicated with a Loss
There is still a possibility for the Bruins to clinch a 2026 NHL playoff spot even if they lose against the Lightning. But that clinching scenario gets overly complex.
Firstly, Boston must get at least one point against the Lightning. That means losing in overtime or the shootout. Then, the B’s will need a ton of help.
The New Jersey Devils must defeat the Detroit Red Wings, the Ottawa Senators beat the New York Islanders, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Philadelphia Flyers.
Alternatively, if the Bruins lose in regulation, the Devils would have to beat the Red Wings, the Senators down the Islanders, and the Jets defeat the Flyers, all in regulation.
Let’s take a minute to process that.
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Boston Can Avoid Confusion and Math Mayhem with a Win
All told, the easiest Bruins clinching scenario is winning on Saturday afternoon. A win would give the club 98 points with two games to play. If the Red Wings won their remaining three games, they could only get up to 97 points. The same goes for Islanders.
The Philadelphia Flyers could make 98 points. However, the Bruins have a much better tiebreaker. The Bruins currently have 31 regulation wins. Even if the Flyers won all of their remaining games in regulation, they could only attain 28 regulation victories. As such, the Bruins are in the driver’s seat of their playoff destiny.
It’s worth pointing out that the Flyers, Islanders, and Red Wings are all still in contention for the second wild card spot. So, Boston fans should keep an eye on those teams because they could meet at some point down the line in this year’s playoffs.
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