Mike Felger weighs in on which goaltender should get the start in the NHL playoffs.
The Boston Bruins have officially punched their ticket to the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Following a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden on Saturday, the Bruins are postseason bound for the sixth straight season under coach Bruce Cassidy and 13th time in the last 15 seasons overall. Trent Frederic and Erik Haula scored for the B's while Jeremy Swayman turned aside 23 of 24 shots he faced from Sidney Crosby and the mighty Pens.
Why health must be Bruins' top priority before playoffs
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The win over Pittsburgh gave the Bruins 97 points with seven games remaining. Boston (46-24-5) is a point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for third place in the Atlantic Division, meaning that if the postseason began today, the Bruins would be the top wild-card team in the Eastern Conference and draw the Florida Panthers (53-16-6) in the first round.
While that's far from a formality, it's looking increasingly likely that Boston will draw either the Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round of the postseason. The Bruins are 1-1 against Florida this season, not having played the Panthers since October and with one matchup left on April 26 in Boston.
The Bruins are 0-2 against the Leafs, with one meeting remaining on April 29 in Toronto. Boston has eliminated the Leafs in the first round of the postseason three times over the last decade, however, outlasting them in seven games in 2013, 2018 and 2019.