Saturday’s billing between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning lived up to the hype.
Both teams have their first-round fate all but secured. The Bruins, barring an epic late-season letdown, will face the league’s second wild-card team in mid-April. The Lightning, carrying a three-game skid into Saturday’s matchup, have their Round 1 showdown with the Maple Leafs all but secure.
The Bruins and Lightning could meet during Round 2 of the NHL’s flawed playoff format. So even without anyone threatening their current spots in the standings, their final regular season matchup marked a show-me game of sorts.