Bruins fancy playoff run entering clash vs. Lightning. Can the Boston Bruins find Lightning in a bottle against Tampa Bay again?

The Bruins and Lightning will play for a second time in seven days on Saturday.

The number of home games remaining for the Boston Bruins in 2024-25 is dwindling quickly. Boston will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night before the Buffalo Sabres come in on Monday night, then they head west for the rest of March. 

After a 6-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night in Canada, the Black and Gold remain within striking distance of a handful of teams for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot, but things are quickly stacking up against them.

Tampa Bay comes into the game in third place in the Atlantic Division and has all but officially locked up another Stanley Cup Playoff berth. However, the Bruins shut them out last Saturday afternoon in Tampa and the Bolts will be looking for some revenge.

Can the Bruins find Lightning in a bottle again?

One day after the trade deadline last Friday, who thought the new-look and less talented Black and Gold would go into Tampa and not only beat the Lightning, but shut them out? Two goals from Cole Koepke and once each from Mark Kastelic and Nikita Zadorov lifted them to a 4-0 win. That’s right, no goals from Morgan Geekie or David Pastrnak and the Bruins get a win over the playoff-bound team? What is going on?

Something tells me this game will go a little differently. Hopefully I’m wrong, but the surging Senators are quietly closing the gap on Tampa Bay for third place in the Atlantic and the Bolts need some points. 

Who is going to start between the pipes for the Bruins? Jeremy Swayman was pulled after just 20 minutes against Ottawa on Thursday night and Joonas Korpisalo allowed just one goal over the final two periods (Ottawa’s sixth was an empty-netter). There are times that you can make the case that Boston plays better in front of Korpisalo than Swayman. Regardless, this is a must-win game for the fans who still have visions of the Bruins playing postseason hockey.