After a three-day break, the Bruins will return to the ice on Saturday afternoon for an Eastern Conference battle against the Lightning.

Boston is currently holding the first wild-card spot with 96 points, and it would face Buffalo in the first round if the NHL Playoffs started today. However, there is still work to do before the Bruins can start preparing for a postseason series.

Here’s a complete breakdown on how the Bruins can clinch a playoff berth on Saturday.

Bruins NHL Playoff clinching scenariosWin vs. Lightning

Let’s keep it simple. If the Bruins beat the Lightning this weekend, they will be part of the playoff field.

Overtime loss + Devils win + Senators win OR Jets win

If the Bruins only get one point against the Lightning, they could still clinch a playoff berth with a Devils win over the Red Wings and either a Senators win over the Islanders or Jets win over the Flyers.

In this scenario, it doesn’t matter how those three teams beat their opponents.

Devils regulation win + Senators regulation win OR Jets regulation win

Regulation wins from the Devils and either the Senators or Jets would send the Bruins to the playoffs even if Boston fails to earn a point on Saturday.

Full NHL schedule for Saturday, April 11

Here is the full slate of games for Saturday, April 11:

GameTime (ET)Lightning vs. Bruins12:30 p.m.Senators vs. Islanders1 p.m.Capitals vs. Penguins3 p.m.Oilers vs. Kings4 p.m.Devils vs. Red Wings5 p.m.Blues vs. Blackhawks5 p.m.Wild vs. Predators5 p.m.Rangers vs. Stars5 p.m.Hurricanes vs. Mammoth5 p.m.Panthers vs. Maple Leafs7 p.m.Blue Jackets vs. Canadiens7 p.m.Flyers vs. Jets7 p.m.Flames vs. Kraken7 p.m.Golden Knights vs. Avalanche8 p.m.Canucks vs. Sharks10 p.m.Bruins remaining schedule 2026

Boston has three games left in the regular season, starting with Saturday’s contest against Tampa Bay.

DateOpponentTime (ET)April 11vs. Lightning12:30 p.m.April 12at Blue Jackets6 p.m.April 14vs. Devils7 p.m.NHL standings 2026Atlantic DivisionTeamGPWLOTLPtsBuffalo Sabres*8049238106Montreal Canadiens*79472210104Tampa Bay Lightning*7948256102Boston Bruins7943261096Ottawa Senators7942271094Detroit Red Wings794129991Florida Panthers***793738478Toronto Maple Leafs***7932331478Metropolitan DivisionTeamGPWLOTLPtsCarolina Hurricanes**7951226108Pittsburgh Penguins*7941221698Philadelphia Flyers7940271292New York Islanders794331591Columbus Blue Jackets7939281290Washington Capitals794030989New Jersey Devils***794036383New York Rangers***793337975

*clinched playoff berth
**clinched division
***eliminated

Eastern Conference wild cardRankTeamGPWLOTLPtsWC1Boston Bruins7943261096WC2Ottawa Senators79422710943Detroit Red Wings7941299914New York Islanders7943315915Columbus Blue Jackets79392812906Washington Capitals794030989More Bruins