THE BIG PICTURE
This is the last game of the regular season for both clubs — but it carries very different weight for each side. Boston, sitting on 98 points and sporting a 28-11-1 home record, can still solidify their No. 1 wild-card position heading into the playoffs. The Bruins clinched a playoff berth on April 11, allowing themselves to exhale and use tonight as a playoff tune-up. New Jersey, meanwhile, has already been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, making this a game about pride, momentum, and finishing the season on a high note.
STANDINGS & PLAYOFF PICTURE
Boston Bruins — 44-27-10 (98 pts) | Atlantic Division, Wild Card #1 Clinched
New Jersey Devils — 42-36-3 (87 pts) | Metropolitan Division | Eliminated
The Bruins are 28-11-1 in home games this season. New Jersey has a 21-19-0 record on the road and a -23 scoring differential, with 226 goals scored and 249 conceded.
This is the third and final meeting between these two teams this season. They split the first two, with each team winning on home ice. NHL The series is tied 1-1 going into tonight's rubber match
INJURY REPORT
New Jersey Devils — Decimated
The Devils are heading into this game severely undermanned, particularly on the back end and in goal.
Luke Hughes is done for the season, Jacob Markstrom is out, and Brett Pesce remains unavailable — meaning the blue line and goalie situation is far from full strength.
Hughes was shut down to undergo surgery, with many speculating it relates to the dislocated shoulder he suffered in January. This marks the second consecutive year he has had to sit out the final games of the season.
As for Markstrom, his .883 save percentage and 3.07 goals-against average mark his worst numbers since his 2014-15 season with the Vancouver Canucks. He was shut down to rest and recover heading into the offseason.
Full Devils injury list per official game notes:
- Jacob Markstrom — Undisclosed (Out, resting for offseason)
- Luke Hughes — Upper-body / surgery (Out for season)
- Brett Pesce — Lower-body (Out)
- Arseny Gritsyuk — Upper-body / surgery (Out for season)
- Stefan Noesen — Knee (Out for season)
- Zack MacEwen — ACL (Out for season)
The Devils have lost a staggering 342 man-games this season.
🟡 Boston Bruins — Managing Rest
The Bruins list Charlie McAvoy, Viktor Arvidsson, Hampus Lindholm, and Pavel Zacha all as day-to-day due to rest. Tanner Jeannot and Mason Lohrei are the only Bruins known to be dealing with nagging injuries. Lohrei missed four straight games at the end of March and beginning of April and may miss tonight as well.
Coach Marco Sturm indicated he plans to roll out close to his regular lineup, treating tonight as the final dress rehearsal before the playoffs begin
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS
Boston Bruins
(Based on Sturm's stated intention to use a near-playoff lineup)
Forwards:
- David Pastrnak — Elias Lindholm — Morgan Geekie (top line)
- Casey Mittelstadt — Pavel Zacha — Viktor Arvidsson (2nd line)
- Fraser Minten — Marat Khusnutdinov — Alex Steeves (3rd line)
- Tanner Jeannot — James Hagens — Mark Kastelic (4th line)
Defense:
- Charlie McAvoy — Jonathan Aspirot
- Hampus Lindholm — Mason Lohrei (GTD)
- Nikita Zadorov — Henri Jokiharju
Goalie: Jeremy Swayman
James Hagens will play in his TD Garden debut, likely remaining with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov on the third or fourth line.
New Jersey Devils
(Per NHL.com projected lineups with injuries accounted for)
Forwards:
- Timo Meier — Nico Hischier — Dawson Mercer (top line)
- Jesper Bratt — Jack Hughes — Connor Brown (2nd line)
- Cody Glass — Paul Cotter — Maxim Tsyplakov (3rd line)
- Marc McLaughlin — Nick Bjugstad — AHL callup (4th line)
Defense:
- Jonas Siegenthaler — Dougie Hamilton
- Johnathan Kovacevic — Brenden Dillon
- Simon Nemec — Calen Addison
Goalie: Jake Allen is the likely starter. He has been serviceable with a 2.74 GAA and .904 save percentage. Nico Daws, recalled from AHL Utica, is also in the mix and could make his second straight start.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
🎯 David Pastrnak (BOS)
Pastrnak leads Boston offensively with 29 goals and 99 points — one goal from 30 and one point from his fourth consecutive 100-point season. NHL His top line with Geekie and Lindholm has actually been outscored 19-16 at five-on-five in 333 minutes of ice time Boston.com, a troubling trend heading into the playoffs that Sturm is eager to sort out tonight.
🎯 Pavel Zacha (BOS)
Zacha has seven goals and 12 points in his last nine games and has hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career. NHL The former Devil is enjoying a career year and providing secondary scoring depth Boston will need in the postseason.
🎯 Nico Hischier (NJ)
Captain Nico Hischier is coming off a two-goal, three-point performance that included an overtime winner against Ottawa — he would have had four points if not for a goal overturned on offside. He remains New Jersey's most dangerous player and will look to finish the season strong.
🎯 Jack Hughes (NJ)
Jack Hughes has 27 goals and 50 assists on the season and, along with Hischier and Bratt, gives New Jersey a top-six that can punish any team on any given night.
🎯 James Hagens (BOS)
Hagens, the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, recorded a secondary assist over 13:08 of ice time in his debut Sunday against Columbus, playing a strong 200-foot game. Tonight he gets his first crack at TD Garden ice. Sturm confirmed Hagens will play, noting he'll make a decision after the game about whether the rookie factors into the playoff lineup.
TRAVEL FATIGUE & REST FACTOR
The rest advantage squarely belongs to Boston tonight. The Bruins are home, playing their final regular-season game at TD Garden with no back-to-back situation in play. New Jersey, meanwhile, wrapped up a home game against Ottawa on Sunday night and has made the trip to Boston for this Tuesday finale — a short but disruptive swing at the tail end of a grueling 82-game season for a team already out of playoff contention.
Boston's 3-2 win over Columbus on Sunday snapped a 0-3-2 slide and gave the room a little life heading into the playoffs. That momentum, combined with home ice and a motivated lineup, gives the Bruins a clear edge tonight.
RECENT FORM (Last 10 Games)
Bruins: 5-3-2, averaging 3.1 goals per game while giving up 2.8. Devils: 5-4-1, averaging 3.3 goals per game while giving up 3.1.
Both teams have been relatively competitive over the stretch run, but New Jersey's defensive vulnerabilities — amplified by the Hughes, Markstrom, and Pesce absences — make them a risky proposition on the road tonight.