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NHL Scoreboard Watching For Bruins Fans: March 27 Edition

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- For many years, the Bruins qualifying for the postseason was a foregone conclusion before the season began. Things aren't so simple anymore.

As it currently stands, the Bruins are hanging on to the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot by a thread, hoping to avoid a third straight spring without playoff hockey in Boston. Securing that final spot won't be easy.

Here's how it shakes out at the moment:

The Bruins are, essentially, in two separate playoff races. That is to say, they can make the playoffs via two different avenues. Route 1 is via the wild card. Route 2 is in the Atlantic Division.

In Route 1, the Bruins hold a two-point lead over the New York Islanders, a three-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a five-point lead over the long-shot Carolina Hurricanes. However, the Bruins have played 75 games, while New York and Tampa have each played 74 games and Carolina has played 73 games.

In Route 2, the Bruins trail the Toronto Maple Leafs by one point for the third and final Atlantic Division playoff spot. The Maple Leafs have played one fewer game than Boston.

Particularly this past weekend, most of the focus has been on the wild-card race. But a two-game win streak for Boston combining with a two-game losing streak for Toronto, and the Atlantic instantly becomes a real possibility again. And, frankly, the Bruins stand a much better chance of actually winning a series if they make the playoffs in their division, as the wild-card spot will land them a date against the best team in the Eastern Conference -- likely Washington, but possibly Columbus or Pittsburgh.

So, if you're keenly interested in the Bruins making the playoffs, the league scoreboard will be of particular interest to you going forward. For the time being, it looks like this will be a daily type of activity. With that in mind, and with the Bruins idle on Monday, here are the games on Monday's schedule that could have an effect on them.

Nashville at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. ET

The Islanders make up that game in hand with this Monday night contest on home ice. There's no history here, as this is the first meeting between the Predators and Islanders this season. The Islanders have had an up-and-down month, going 6-5-1 in March. Nashville will be playing hard, too, as the Preds are trying to hang on to the third playoff spot in the Central Division. The Blues are nipping at their heels.

If the Islanders win, they'll be tied with the Bruins in the standings, but the Bruins own the tiebreaker (ROW) and will finish the night in playoff position regardless of the outcome of this game.

Chicago at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. ET (on NBCSN)

The Lightning are coming off an overtime win against the Red Wings, making for a two-game win streak after a three-game skid. Prior to that, the Lightning had won four straight. Clearly, they're a streaky squad. The Lightning won their previous meeting with Chicago, 5-2, and the Blackhawks have their No. 1 seed in the West pretty comfortably in hand. The Blackhawks are coming off a 7-0 loss at Florida, so perhaps they'll be trying to display a bit more pride in this nationally televised game.

Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. ET

The Hurricanes remain firmly on the outside of the playoff picture, but still, things happen this time of year, and so they should be monitored. They've climbed back into the race with an 8-1-3 stretch over their last 11 games, and they're currently riding a three-game winning streak on the road over Florida, Montreal and New Jersey. The Red Wings, meanwhile, have been a pretty bad hockey team, going 10-13-5 since late January. This game is interesting because it is a make-up for a game that was postponed due to unplayable ice back in December. As a result, the Red Wings and Hurricanes will play Monday and Tuesday night, with both games taking place in Raleigh. Sounds like a recipe for some bad blood to fester.

You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.

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