Simply put, Game 76 at TD Garden Thursday night was the biggest of the season thus far with first place in the Eastern Conference on the line against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
While recent seasons had the Black and Gold scratching for desperate playoff points down the stretch, the 2017-18 campaign has been the polar opposite with the Bruins knocking on the door for not only the best team in the East but also a shot at the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top point-getter.
A point behind Tampa Bay and four in arrears of Nashville with a game in hand on each, a Bruins-Lightning rematch is also in store next Tuesday at Tampa, not to mention a possible seven-game playoff series in the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup.