After a four-game road trip and three days off, the Boston Bruins (43-26-10) are back on TD Garden ice for the start of their final back-to-back of the 2025-26 regular season.

The road trip did not go to plan, though; the B’s went 0-2-2 and have not won a game since March 31. They scored one goal in each of their first three games, then five was not enough in the last game.

The Bruins will face the Tampa Bay Lightning (48-25-6) for the second straight Saturday, and they are coming into Boston on a three-game skid. They are on the final game of a four-game road trip… sound familiar?

Tampa Bay’s last win came against Boston last week, and they are 3-0-0 against the Bruins this season.

The Bruins have a 98.7% chance to make the postseason, per MoneyPuck. Their magic number is two, according to Hockey Magic Numbers. They have an opportunity to book their ticket on Saturday; there’s a simple way, and two more complicated routes.

Win: If the Bruins win, they clinch a playoff berth.

OT/SO loss: If the Bruins lose and gain a point, they need the Devils to beat the Red Wings and one of the following:

Loss: If the Bruins lose, they need the Devils to beat Detroit in regulation, as well as one of the following:

And no, James Hagens will not make his Bruins debut today. He made the trip up I-95 on Wednesday, signed his entry-level contract, and practiced with the Bruins on Thursday and Friday.

Marco Sturm will meet with the media approximately 90 minutes before puck drop to announce any lineup changes.

Mikey Eyssimont – Fraser Minten – Marat Khusnutdinov

Zemgus Girgensons – Yanni Gourde – Oliver Bjorkstrand

Sunday, February 1: @ TB (Stadium Series) – Lightning win 6-5 (shootout) 

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