It's going to take all 82 regular season games to figure out where the Boston Bruins will 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 finale against the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden with 109 points atop the Atlantic Division. The Florida Panthers, who sit 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:
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1. Boston Bruins: 81 GP, 47-19-15, 109 points
2. Florida Panthers: 81 GP, 51-24-6, 108 points
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Here are the scenarios that result in the Bruins winning the division. Only one of them needs to unfold. If that happens, they play the Tampa Bay Lightning (first wild card team) in the first round.
- Bruins win in any fashion
- Panthers lose in regulation
- Both teams lose in overtime/shootout
Keep in mind the Bruins don't have the tiebreaker over the Panthers because Florida has a 41-36 advantage in regulation wins. So if the Bruins and Panthers both finish with 109 or 110 points, Florida would get first place.
Here are the scenarios that result in the Bruins finishing second in the division and playing the Leafs in Round 1. Only one of them needs to unfold.
- Bruins lose in any fashion and Panthers win in any fashion
- Bruins lose in regulation and Panthers lose in overtime/shootout
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 has fared better versus Toronto, beating 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.