The Bruins returned to the ice Saturday afternoon against the Lightning and could clinch a playoff berth with a win in Tampa Bay. Boston, sitting in the Eastern Conference's first wild-card spot with 96 points, had three games left in the regular season starting with the April 11 matchup.
If the NHL playoffs started today, Boston would face Buffalo in the first round. A victory over the Lightning would send the Bruins into the postseason immediately, but they could also get there with one point if the Devils beat the Red Wings and either the Senators beat the Islanders or the Jets beat the Flyers.
There is even a path without a Boston point. Regulation wins from the Devils and either the Senators or the Jets would still put the Bruins in the playoffs, which means Saturday's result in Tampa Bay is only part of the picture. The club is in control of its own path, but not entirely in control of when the celebration starts.
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That is the edge Boston has carried into the final stretch. Three games remain, and the Bruins have turned a three-day break into a chance to lock up their place rather than wait for other results to break their way.