By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
The Boston Bruins currently hold the Eastern Conference’s first Wild Card seed. However, this season has felt like it’s dragged on. Last night, the Bruins fell 4-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden. Last night’s loss was arguably the worst of the entire season for the Bruins, considering the team lost on home ice to the Eastern Conference’s second-worst team in a crucial game with a tight playoff race.
The Eastern Conference’s standings seem to change every night with every game played. After the conclusion of last night’s games around the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators jumped the Detroit Red Wings for the Eastern Conference second Wild Card spot, and the Columbus Blue Jackets jumped the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Metropolitan Division’s second seed. Now, a fear of 2015 repeating for the Bruins seems to be looming after yesterday’s games throughout the NHL.
In the 2014-15 season, the Bruins set the NHL record by recording the most points in a single season to make the playoffs. The Bruins finished that 2014-15 season with 96 points. Three other NHL teams have recorded 96 points and missed the playoffs since 2015. During that season, the Bruins once looked like a team that could make noise in the playoffs, only to fall flat.
The Bruins had a 36-22-10 record after shutting out the Penguins 2-0 on March 14, 2015. After that win, the Bruins went on to lose their next six consecutive games, three of which were decided after 60 minutes. After the six-game losing streak, the Bruins got hot by winning five consecutive games. Then, the Bruins finished the season by losing their final three games and missing the 2015 playoffs. The Penguins finished with 98 points, and the Senators finished with 99 points to be the Eastern Conference’s two Wild Card teams in 2015.
Fast forward 11 years, and the 2026 Bruins could possibly replicate the 2015 team’s finish. The Bruins have had plenty of hot and cold stretches this season. The Bruins have been in the playoff picture for a good chunk of the calendar year in 2026. Now, the team’s latest loss against the struggling Maple Leafs is putting concern on the Bruins’ 2026 playoff hopes, especially with the standings and schedule ahead.
The Bruins have 86 points overall, but the Senators and New York Islanders each have 85 points. To make it worse for the Bruins, the Senators’ recent hot streak has given them three more regulation wins than the Bruins, which can help them with seeding in the standings. The Islanders’ 40 wins are the most among any NHL team that doesn’t hold a playoff spot. The Red Wings are still in the playoff hunt with 84 points. While the Penguins dropped to the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, the team has 86 points overall.
The final four games to end March for the Bruins are tough. The Bruins are playing four teams that would be playing in the 2026 playoffs. The first one is tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on the road at KeyBank Center against the Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo Sabres to conclude a back-to-back. Then, the Bruins play another back-to-back with each game being a 5 p.m. ET puck drop on Saturday and Sunday. The Bruins start off the back-to-back by hosting the Minnesota Wild, who have the sixth-most points in the NHL with 92. The Bruins conclude the back-to-back with a road game at Nationwide Arena against the Blue Jackets. On March 31 at 7 p.m. ET, the Bruins conclude the month by hosting the second-best team in the NHL, the 97-point Dallas Stars.
After March, the Bruins will play seven games in April. One road game against the Blue Jackets, one road game against the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes, and two games against the Atlantic Division’s second seed, Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bruins also have one game each against the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and New Jersey Devils. While all three of those teams wouldn’t make the 2026 playoffs if the season ended today, those three teams can have a golden opportunity to play spoiler. To make those three games more concerning, each team defeated the Bruins the last time they played against each other.
There’s a realistic chance that a couple of teams in the Eastern Conference will finish with a high point total and miss the 2026 playoffs. The Bruins can be one of those teams based on the current standings. If the Bruins are going to avoid repeating 2015, the team will need to get better play all around.
In last night’s loss, Elias Lindholm scored a goal for the second consecutive game. Charlie McAvoy remained hot by scoring a goal to now have 13 points in March. One area that will need to be stellar for the Bruins is goaltending. Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo will need to be at their best. Swayman, in particular, will be relied on to show why he’s one of the top goaltenders in the NHL.
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