The Boston Bruins are headed to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs after failing to qualify remaining season.
However as they input their common season finale towards the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night time at TD Lawn, each their playoff seed and first-round opponent stay TBD.
Let’s check out the place the B’s stand within the wild card race and which groups they may face in Spherical 1.
Bruins’ in all probability seed
The Bruins are not able to complete top-three within the Atlantic Department, so they’re going to finally end up within the first or 2d wild card spot.
Boston enters Tuesday within the first wild card place with a one-point lead over the Ottawa Senators. That suggests the Bruins would clinch the No. 1 wild card berth with a win of any type towards the Devils within the common season finale.
The B’s want to end forward of the Senators through a minimum of one level to safe the highest wild card spot as a result of Ottawa owns the primary tiebreaker with a 37-32 edge in legislation wins.
Each the Bruins and Senators have yet another recreation final. Ottawa’s finale is towards the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night time, so if the Bruins lose in any type to the Devils, they’re going to want to wait 24 hours earlier than their seed is finalized.
In abstract: The Bruins end as height wild card staff with any more or less win vs. Devils. The B’s will be the 2d wild card staff if the Senators end tied or forward of them within the standings. Ottawa is these days one level in the back of the Bruins.
For what it is price, MoneyPuck‘s and HockeyStats‘ analytics fashions each undertaking the Bruins to complete as the primary wild card staff.
Bruins’ in all probability first-round fighters
There are two attainable first-round fighters for the Bruins. In the event that they end as the primary wild card staff, they’re going to play the Sabres. In the event that they end as the second one wild card staff, they’re going to play the Hurricanes.
The very best trail to the Japanese Convention Ultimate is most definitely throughout the Metropolitan Department. A trail consisting of the Hurricanes within the first around and both the Penguins or Flyers in the second one around is rather less treacherous than a trail that incorporates the Sabres within the first around and the Lightning or Canadiens in the second one around.
The Lightning constitute the hardest matchup for the Bruins, so it could be splendid for them to steer clear of Tampa Bay so long as conceivable.
The Bruins have performed each the Lightning and Hurricanes within the playoffs rather just lately. They have not performed the Canadiens within the postseason since 2014, and the remaining Bruins-Sabres playoff sequence was once in 2010. Seeing one or either one of the ones rivalries get reignited could be a laugh.