Here’s every scenario for the Bruins’ first-round opponent heading into the final game originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
It will take all 82 regular season games to find out where the Boston Bruins land in the final NHL standings and which team they will face in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Bruins enter Tuesday night’s final against the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden with a 109-point lead in the Atlantic Division. The Florida Panthers, who are one point behind the Bruins in second place, host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night in their final game.
Here’s a look at the top of the Atlantic Division standings:
1. Boston Bruins: 81 GP, 47-19-15, 109 points
2. Florida Panthers: 81 GP, 51-24-6, 108 points
Here are the scenarios that result in the Bruins winning the division. Only one of them needs to unfold. If that happens, they face the Tampa Bay Lightning (first wild card team) in the first round.
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Bruins win anyway
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Panthers lose in regulation
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Both teams lose in extra time/penalties
Keep in mind that the Bruins do not have a tiebreaker over the Panthers because Florida has a 41-36 advantage in regulation wins. So if the Bruins and Panthers finish with 109 or 110 points, Florida would be in first place.
Here are the scenarios that have the Bruins finishing second in the division and playing the Leafs in the first round.
The Bruins beat the Lightning in the 2011 Eastern Conference Final, but lost to Tampa Bay in the second round in 2018 and 2020. Boston fared better against Toronto, defeating the Leafs in the first round in 2013, 2018 and 2019.
The Leafs are a slightly easier matchup for the Bruins on paper, but both teams present plenty of challenges, especially offensively. Toronto and Tampa Bay are two of the most skilled teams in the league.
