The Boston Bruins had two games over the weekend, started the same goaltender, and won them both. 

The Bruins came back and picked up another massive two points in their playoff push. Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy led the way in regulation. Jeremy Swayman’s 21 saves helped from the other side of the ice. 

Former Bruins bench boss Bruce Cassidy was relieved of duties as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights yesterday in a rare late-season move for a team in the playoff picture. 

Also around the league, the Canadiens and Flyers picked up wins yesterday, as did the Tampa Bay Lightning, who now sit atop the Eastern Conference. 

Happy Monday, catch up on Bruins and league news in today’s Daily Bean:

Boston Bruins

BRUINS COMEBACK: The Boston Bruins (42-24-8) went down 3-0, but beat the Columbus Blue Jackets (38-24-12) 4-3 in a shootout to pick up their second win of the weekend. Jeremy Swayman made 21 saves and hit win No. 30 on the year, and Pavel Zacha scored two power-play goals in the third period. 

BREAK APART: It started with two fights in the first period. Yes, Columbus scored right after, but Jeremy Swayman called Mark Kastelic and Tanner Jeannot “the true heroes” of last night’s game. Charlie McAvoy, who opened the scoring, said that the Bruins have to go through a game like last night so that they can earn that “real belief.”

Fraser Minten and Viktor Arvidsson closed the game in a shootout. 

Columbus Blue Jackets (video via 𝕏): Sean Kuraly was welcomed back to Columbus last night. The Dublin, OH, native spent the last four seasons playing for his hometown team before returning to Boston. 

ICYMI: The Boston Bruins signed Merrimack goaltender Max Lundgren to an entry-level contract for the 2026-27 season. The 6-foot-5 goaltender led the Warriors to the school’s first Hockey East championship, and the new Bruins’ prospect was named the tournament MVP.

The Prospects Notebook will be out today. 

NHL News & National Hockey Now

Vegas Hockey Now: Wow. I had to do a double-take to make sure I was not being fooled. Bruce Cassidy is out as the head coach in Vegas. John Tortorella is in. The Golden Knights are playing in a “pillow fight” division, as Connor McDavid called it, but they are currently in a playoff spot.

NHL.com: A Bruins win seemingly calls for a Canadiens win. Montreal picked up a 3-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes for their second of the weekend, and they remain two points up on the Bruins with a game in hand. 

Philly Hockey Now: The Flyers picked up a 2-1 overtime win against the Dallas Stars last night, giving the Flyers a small bump in their playoff chances. Trevor Zegras scored the overtime winner. Will James has the postgame reaction. 

The Stars are completing a four-game road trip in Boston on Tuesday. 

NHL.com: The Tampa Bay Lightning are 6-0-2 in their last eight games and are now first in the Eastern Conference. They picked up a 3-2 win in Tampa last night.

The Bruins play the Lightning twice before the end of the season.

STANDINGS (playoff odds per MoneyPuck):

Atlantic: 

Lightning – 98 points, 9 games remaining, 99.99% odds

Sabres – 98 points, 8 games remaining, 99.98% odds

Canadiens – 94 points, 9 games remaining, 98.9% odds

Metropolitan: 

Hurricanes – 98 points, 9 games remaining, 100% odds

Islanders – 89 points, 8 games remaining, 71.7% odds

Penguins – 88 points, 9 games remaining, 70.1% odds

Wild Card:

Bruins – 92 points, 8 games remaining, 90.9% odds

Blue Jackets – 88 points, 8 games remaining, 49.3% odds

Senators – 86 points, 9 games remaining, 50.5% odds

Red Wings – 86 points, 9 games remaining, 35.6% odds

Flyers – 86 points, 9 games remaining, 26.3% odds

Philly Hockey Now: The Philadelphia Flyers signed 2025 sixth-overall pick Porter Martone to an entry-level contract yesterday. He will burn a year of his entry-level contract. The Michigan State Spartans were eliminated from the NCAA tournament in a semifinal loss to the Wisconsin Badgers. 

Florida Hockey Now: Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov has not and will not play this season. Paul Maurice confirmed it on Saturday. Barkov has been skating since January, and he joined the Panthers for practice over the last few weeks, but that is all he will do this season.

PWHL: The fastest team in PWHL history to clinch a spot in the Walter Cup playoffs is the Boston Fleet. They picked up a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Frost yesterday, picking up their 13th regulation win of the season. Amanda Thiele made her PWHL debut in the win. 

Today’s NHL Schedule

Penguins at Islanders – 7:00 PM (US: NHLN)

Flames at Avalanche – 8:30 PM (CA: Prime)

Canucks at Golden Knights – 10:00 PM

Maple Leafs at Ducks – 10:00 PM

Blues at Sharks – 10:00 PM

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