The Boston Bruins are looking to do more than tune up for the Stanley Cup playoffs when they host the New Jersey Devils in the regular-season finale for both teams Tuesday night.
After clinching a playoff berth on Saturday, Boston (44-27-10, 98 points) broke out of a 0-3-2 skid Sunday with a 3-2 win at the Columbus Blue Jackets and still has the top wild-card position in the Eastern Conference to play for.
“I think it was just important to go back to winning, to feel good again,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “I think it’s very important for us to go into the playoffs (with some positive momentum). Whatever happens happens, who we’re going to play, it really doesn’t matter. … We wanted to win (Sunday) and we want to win (Tuesday).”
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy, 30-goal forward Pavel Zacha and goaltender Jeremy Swayman were among the regulars sitting out on Sunday as the Bruins finished a weekend back-to-back. Meanwhile, 2025 first-round draft pick James Hagens made his NHL debut and recorded his first NHL point.
The 19-year-old Hagens skated on a line with 21-year-old center Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, earning a late-game shift to protect the 3-2 lead after Mark Kastelic’s eventual game-winner.
“I thought he was good. I thought the whole line was great,” Sturm said. “They used their speed, they were not afraid to make plays, they made a lot of good decisions. They never really got in trouble.”
Sturm expects to put out a regular lineup on Tuesday, which will include Hagens. David Pastrnak, who is on a nine-game goal scoring drought, is looking for one more goal to reach 30 for the fifth straight season and is also one point away from his fourth 100-point campaign in a row.
“It was a big win (Sunday). The guys played really well, and that’s something we need to do even (Tuesday in order to be) feeling good towards the playoffs,” Zacha said.
The Devils (42-36-3, 87 points) arrived in Boston as winners in back-to-back games, including a 5-3 win Saturday at the Detroit Red Wings that clinched the Bruins’ return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.
Most recently on Sunday, New Jersey scored a pair of short-handed goals and got an overtime game-winner from Nico Hischier to beat the Ottawa Senators, 4-3. As a result, Ottawa dropped into the second wild-card spot.
Hischier had a three-point night and would reach the 200-goal plateau for his career with another tally on Tuesday.
“The game didn’t matter, but it matters,” Hischier said. “It’s very important for us to finish the season strong. We’re not happy with where we’re at. We came up way short. Just give something back one last time to our fans is the least we can do.”
In goal, Nico Daws (27 saves) made his second start of the season and first since October.
“Any time you’re in (the NHL), it’s fun to start, and winning games is even better,” he said. “I just have that mindset of this is the league I want to play in and that’s what I’m working for.”
Hischier’s game-winner came on the power play, ending the home schedule on a high note. Coach Sheldon Keefe agreed with his captain, noting how important it will be to begin working towards building a regular winner again.
The Devils have qualified for the playoffs just three times since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2012.
“As much as I am thrilled for how it worked out (Sunday), I’m more so disappointed in where we’re at and that we won’t have more home games in this building in the playoffs,” Keefe said.
