The biggest game of the season just happens to be tonight for the Boston Bruins, who sit in the eight and final spot in the Eastern Conference.
With a regulation win over the Tampa Bay Lighting the Bruins can end a two-year playoff drought.
It was just a little under two months ago when the Bruins suffered a 6-5 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs that dropped them to 26-23-6 on the season and they were on the outside looking in on the playoff picture.
After the Saturday loss, Claude Julien was fired that Monday and Bruce Cassidy was named the interim head coach. The 51-year-old began his tenure on the black and gold’s bench by helping to lead the Bruins to a season-best four-game winning streak, which sparked the club into postseason contention.
The Bruins have gone 17-7 since Cassidy took over and look to extend their winning streak, which includes triumphs over Nashville and Chicago, to six games tonight at the TD Garden versus the Lightning at 7 p.m.
It is also worth noting Brad Marchand sits at 39 goals with three games remaining as he guns to become Boston’s first 40-goal scorer since Glen Murray found the back of the net 44 times during the 2002-03 season.
