Nikita Zadorov had the crowning moment of his Boston Bruins career when he found an open space in the Detroit Red Wings' defense on Saturday night and wristed home the game-winner. It was the biggest win of the Bruins' season to this point, putting them two points clear of Detroit in the playoff race and helping them stay within striking distance of the Atlantic's third-place team, the Montreal Canadiens.
While some fans are now wondering whether the Bruins can steal the third spot in the Atlantic Division, it looks like the Bruins and Zadorov have their eyes set on a different goal. If Boston is going to jump to the Atlantic standings over the wild card, their first-round opponent is likely to be the Tampa Bay Lightning. If they want to get themselves the best chance of winning that series, they'll need home ice.
The belt goes to the guy that got us the lead 👏 pic.twitter.com/YVkNxJZImv
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 22, 2026
Zadorov received the team's belt, which they give to the most valuable player in a win. It was an easy choice given the gravity of the game winner, and Jonathan Aspirot's tongue-in-cheek comment comparing him to Bobby Orr was a nice touch, but it was Zadorov's comment as he gave a quick speech to his teammates that stood out.
"Let's get that home ice first round, eh?"Nikita Zadorov
Bruins fans likely saw this clip and thought, "maybe just try to make the playoffs before worrying about playing the first two games on the road." However, Zadorov's comments paint a bigger picture that this team's belief in itself has never waivered. They could've easily gotten discouraged when they've been one of best teams over the past two months and still haven't gotten any room in the playoff race, but it seems to have motivated them to win even more.
It all starts with beating the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. If they fail to do so, the rest of the schedule doesn't get any easier. If the dominoes fall correctly on Tuesday night, the Bruins could be in third all by themselves in the Atlantic Division, but they'll need the Carolina Hurricanes to beat the Canadiens.