if they beat the edmonton oilers and the right things tore their way, the Boston Bruins could have clinched a playoff spot on Thursday. Instead, the Oilers came back from a 2–0 deficit to defeat the Bruins 3–2, ending Boston’s winning streak at 10 games and postponing their postseason qualification.
It is the first time this season that the Bruins lost in regulation After building a first period lead. Boston had not lost at all since dropping a 2–1 decision to the Capitals on February 11.
Brad Marchand and David Pasternak scored two goals each in the opening frame, but the Oilers did not go far. Impressively, Edmonton beat Boston despite keeping Connor McDavid off the scoresheet. Evan Bouchard collected the only goal of the second period on a broken play and Ryan McLeod tied things up in the third period. Darnell Nurse notched the game-winner with less than five minutes remaining to complete the comeback.
Oilers Gearing Up For Playoffs, Bruins Can Still Make History
On paper, the Oilers have weathered a fairly tough schedule, so their recent strong play (two straight wins, four out of five) inspires some genuine optimism. During that five-game span, they beat the Maple Leafs, Sabres, split two meetings with the Jets, and now own this win over the Bruins. With the rest of the Pacific Division heating up too, the Oilers may not be able to make that top three finish, but they are tightening their grip on the top wild-card spot with 80 points from 66 games played.
Stranger things have happened, but it certainly looks like Edmonton will make the playoffs, so they can aim for recovery as much as anything else.
Naturally, it’s not the end of the world for the Bruins. While they’ll need a few dominoes to fall to clinch a playoff spot on Thursday, it’s only a matter of time before they lock down almost everything, including the Presidents’ Trophy. From a regular season perspective, they’re mostly chasing history,
For example, they could still become the fastest team to reach 50 wins in a regular season. back in 2018-19The Tampa Bay Lightning tied the 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings by winning 50 of 66 games played. The Bruins can set that record if they win games one of two in back-to-back weekend sets against Detroit. Failing that, the Bruins can tie the mark by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
So, the Oilers spoiled the party a bit for the Bruins, but this game could be the most interesting if these two teams manage to meet again in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. Not such an outrageous idea considering how strong both teams look after the trade deadline.
