The Boston Bruins picked up another two points at home last night.

And the new guy impressed. In his Bruins debut, Lukas Reichel was one of six goal scorers last night, and he picked up an assist as the Bruins thumped the Jets 6-1. The second line also buzzed around, as did the first and third, each contributing to two goals while on the ice. 

The other teams pushing for playoffs are not slowing down, though. The Blue Jackets continue to win, making it 11-straight games with a point (7-0-4). Behind the Bruins, the Red Wings won, and those two teams have an identical record. The Islanders fell out of a playoff spot with a loss to Ottawa, and the Senators are continuing to make a late push for the postseason. 

Matthew Schaefer hit the 50-point mark, though, and he is the youngest person in league history to do so.

Also, it is a sad day for any minor-league hockey fans in New England. Take Bridgeport off the list; the number of teams remaining in the region will be three. 

TGIF. Before March Madness continues (shoutout to the Fairfield Stags WBB team), catch up on Bruins and league news in today’s Daily Bean:

Boston Bruins

BRUINS WIN: The Boston Bruins (38-23-8) picked up a 6-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets (28-29-11) last night at the TD Garden. Six different Bruins scored, and Jeremy Swayman finished with 23 saves, including a highlight-reel save on Gabe Vilardi.

Swayman finished with 3.05 goals saved above expected, per NaturalStatTrick. 

BREAK APART: Welcome to Boston, Lukas Reichel. The new guy made a solid first impression with the eventual game-winning goal and a two-point night. The second line also continued to produce.

Pavel Zacha’s 14 points (8-6–14) are the most on the Bruins’ roster since the Olympic break.

WICKED BOSTON SHOW: Check out the Wicked Boston Show today at 1:00 PM! I joined South Shore legend Cam Stuart for a discussion on the Bruins season, Jeremy Swayman, and James Hagens.

Prospects Update

It is semifinal night for college hockey teams, and Hagens Watch continues for any Bruins’ fan waiting for the arrival of their first-round prospect.

HEA: Boston College (6) vs. UConn – 7:00 PM, TD Garden, Boston, MA

ECAC: Cornell (1) vs. Princeton – 7:00 PM, 1980 Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid, NY

More Bruins’ prospects are in action tonight:

AHL: Providence vs. Utica – 7:00 PM, Adirondack Bank Center, Utica, NY

ECHL: Maine vs. Worcester – 7:00 PM, DCU Center, Worcester, MA

QMJHL: Shawinigan (1) vs. Victoriaville – 7:00 PM, Colisée Desjardins, Victoriaville, QC

USHL: Youngstown (1) vs. Chicago – 8:05 PM, Fox Valley Ice Arena, Geneva, IL

NHL News & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman has the league’s latest news, including the GM meetings and Eric Tulsky’s exchange with Gary Bettman. Also, the Predators are moving along with their GM search, though nothing is imminent. 

Detroit Hockey Now: The Red Wings picked up a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens in an important Atlantic Division matchup last night. Bob Duff has the coverage from Motown. 

The Bruins and Red Wings share identical records. The B’s hold the regulation wins tiebreaker 28-27, and to break the tie, these two teams will play on Saturday night. 

Forever Blueshirts: The Columbus Blue Jackets picked up a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers. Conor Garland scored, and Adam Fantilli scored twice. The Rangers made mistakes, and the Blue Jackets, who are 17-2-4 under head coach Rick Bowness, capitalized on them. 

The Blue Jackets are no longer chasing the Bruins; they are third in the Metropolitan Division.

Ottawa Hockey Now: The New York Islanders dropped out of a playoff spot, and the Senators are red-hot and chasing the playoff push. The Senators picked up a 3-2 win over the Islanders yesterday. 

NHL (video via 𝕏): Also from that game, Matthew Schaefer is the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record 50 career points. 

NY Post: I have mentioned it here before, but the Bridgeport Islanders are relocating at the end of this season. The New York Islanders confirmed the reports yesterday with an announcement. They will head to Hamilton, Ontario, and call a newly-renovated TD Coliseum home. 

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Massachusetts native Billy Tibbetts is behind bars, again, according to a report out of Wilkes-Barre, PA. 

Hockey247: The NHL draft lottery will be scheduled for May 5, according to Frank Seravalli. The league will conduct the drawing of the lottery balls live on air, just like last year. Here is Tankathon in case you wanted to simulate the lottery. 

Today’s NHL Schedule

Hurricanes @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 PM (US: NHLN)

Devils @ Capitals, 7:00 PM (CA: SN)

Avalanche @ Blackhawks, 8:30 PM

Panthers @ Flames, 9:00 PM

Ducks @ Mammoth, 10:00 PM

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