Bruins can clinch playoff spot without playing Thursday night

The Boston Bruins are so close to clinching a playoff spot, they could do it without winning another game.

Granted, they'd need help from their competition in the Eastern Conference wild card race for that to happen, and the city of Boston would prefer that the skidding B's cruise into the postseason on a high note. Especially after finally bringing top prospect James Hagens aboard with his entry-level contract. But there are wild clinching scenarios out there for the Bruins starting Thursday night, that could play out as the B's sit idle for a busy 14-game slate.

NHL.com posted the latest clinching scenarios for all the contending teams Thursday morning, and confirmed that the Bruins (43-26-10) can lock up a playoff spot if the Columbus Blue Jackets (39-27-12), New York Islanders (42-31-5), and Detroit Red Wings (40-29-9) all lose in regulation. That would officially put the Isles and Wings out of reach for points, while the Jackets wouldn't be able to catch the B's in the first tiebreaker (regulation wins).

This underlines the Bruins' extremely high playoff odds, which sit at 98.8% entering Thursday, according to MoneyPuck. The aforementioned Blue Jackets, Islanders, and Red Wings still have appreciable odds because the 2-3 spots in the Metropolitan Division remain up for grabs. The Penguins and Flyers are hanging by a thread, making that the actual most intriguing race to watch in the final stretch.

Essentially, all the Bruins need to do is pick up a point or two at some point in their final three games. Run the clock out to get to overtime if they have to. Do everything you can to make sure you're playing in late April. That would make for an exciting end to what's been something of an unexpectedly positive season for the Bruins under first-year head coach Marco Sturm, even if they have their flaws and are battling through highs and lows at the moment.