"The Bruins currently sit in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 32-20-5 record and 69 points. The Blue Jackets are four points behind Boston in the standings just below the playoff cut-off line. Thursday's key bout against Columbus will mark the start of a sprint to the finish line for Boston, with 25 games on the regular-season slate over the final eight weeks."
"The Bruins and first-year head coach Marco Sturm have exceeded expectations so far this season in what was once envisioned to be another rebuilding year for the Original Six franchise. Still, there's no guarantee that this roster will be playing playoff hockey in April - not with every NHL club afforded a clean slate of some sort after that multi-week Olympic break."
"Even with Boston ultimately falling in a shootout against both the Lightning and Panthers going into the Olympic break, the Bruins were playing some of their best hockey just before the league went on pause. Once viewed as a fringe playoff team on the outside looking in at the logjammed Eastern Conference standings, the Bruins manufactured some breathing room due to their stellar play since the calendar flipped to 2026."
The Boston Bruins resume play Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets after nearly three weeks off for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Currently holding the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 32-20-5 record and 69 points, Boston faces a demanding stretch run with 25 games remaining over eight weeks. First-year head coach Marco Sturm has exceeded expectations in what was anticipated as a rebuilding year. Despite playing strong hockey before the Olympic break, the Bruins cannot guarantee playoff qualification, as all NHL teams receive a fresh start following the extended break. The Blue Jackets sit four points behind Boston, just outside the playoff cutoff.
Read at Boston.com
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