Boston Bruins fans thought they were living in a nightmare when the team relinquished another third-period lead against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon. Two points would've clinched a playoff spot for the Bruins and made the final two games of the season irrelevant, but the loss made them have to rely on other teams to get the job done. Luckily for the Bruins, the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings lost in regulation, giving the Bruins the spot they were after.
The bad news on Saturday was that the Ottawa Senators passed the Bruins in the standings, which takes the seeding out of Boston's hands. If Ottawa wins its final two games, the Bruins are the second wild card team and will likely face the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. It won't be an easy matchup for the Bruins, as we saw when the two teams faced off recently, but the Metropolitan Division side of the bracket is a bit easier than the Atlantic.
The good news is that the Bruins now get a week before the playoffs begin to right the ship after a recent 0-3-2 stretch. They won't have to endure the stress of needing a win to make the playoffs, which could do wonders for an exhausted-looking team leading into the first game of Round 1.
Despite the playoffs already being a guarantee, there are some things that Bruins fans should want to see in the final two games.
1. James Hagens debuts and plays a ton of minutes
Marco Sturm's comments about James Hagens after Saturday's game made me think that he was undecided because he didn't know the team's fate. If the Bruins went into Sunday's game still needing two points to make the playoffs, I really think Sturm would've scratched the rookie again, fearing it was too big a moment to risk him not being ready for it.
The early clinch helps Sturm insert Hagens into the lineup two games before the playoffs, without any worries about him costing the team a spot. He can give him a ton of minutes, try him in different combinations, and see how much he can help the powerplay. Losing on Saturday might've backfired if Sturm had thought they would win and could put Hagens in on Sunday, but the lucky results elsewhere are doing the team a big favor here.
2. Get the stars some rest
David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy looked to be running on fumes, both physically and mentally, at times over the team's recent losing streak. The four-day break before the Lightning game looked like it helped Pastrnak immensely, as he was skating better and had plenty of scoring chances on Saturday, where he took matters into his own hands, something he wasn't doing before.
Sturm will likely play the stars for at least one of the two remaining games, but he has to give most of them at least one game off to be fully ready for the postseason. I would assume it'll likely be a skeleton crew on Sunday against Columbus before icing a potential playoff lineup against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. The only question remaining for Bruins fans is if Hagens will do enough Sunday to be in that lineup Tuesday.
3. Jeremy Swayman's workload will be a question
Sturm could decide to rest Jeremy Swayman for both of the remaining games, which could raise some questions. The Bruins are going to need their starter ready to go for next Saturday or Sunday, but that would have him at 7+ days between starts before Game 1.
Swayman looked good against the Lightning on Saturday, but sitting him until then would be the classic rest vs. rust debate. I would consider giving him the week off for a reset in hopes he will carry them through the Hurricanes series, but not all fans will be on board with that. If he does start Tuesday, he will still have plenty of time to be ready for Game 1, but it has been a long season for him.