The Bruins are not going to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs unless they improve things on the road.
That much was obvious heading into Saturday’s 3-2 epic shootout win over the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena, so it was fitting that the B’s hopped over the Red Wings for the top wild card spot after lasting until the victorious ninth round in the shootout. It was Boston’s first road win since January, arriving against a quality Capitals team also hungry for points, and it was exactly the start they needed on a key three-game road trip through Washington, New Jersey, and Montreal that could and should make a major imprint on their postseason hopes.
“It’s excellent. It’s exactly what we wanted to start this road trip off with was a win,” said Jeremy Swayman, who was brilliant with 25 saves and a number of key stops in the first half of the game until the B’s offense could get going. “We know how big these points are, so no matter how it gets done that is all we care about.”
FRASER MINTEN AND JEREMY SWAYMAN SUPREMACY. LFG, BRUINS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/CAUTw5yOae
— John 🇨🇻 (@YaBoyyyJohn) March 14, 2026
It doesn’t just stop with the slump-busting win, however, where they had to grind all the way to the ninth round of the shootout before rookie Fraser Minten finally solved Logan Thompson for his first career NHL shootout goal. The B’s finish the season with seven of their last 11 games on the road, including a pair of road tilts against a Columbus team chasing close behind in the playoff standings, and they’ll need to achieve a level of consistency away from TD Garden that has eluded them with a “meh” 12-14-5 road record this season.
The disparity between their home dominance and their road struggles is the widest among any team across the NHL, and it will be their undoing if it creeps back in after the gritty victory in Washington.
“We kept them to the outside for the most part and we were solid. I thought we were being smart and we were good defensively, and overall, we did a good job,” said Marco Sturm. “Give the guys credit being down one goal twice and in the third period to keep coming back. Thanks to Swayman too a little bit. He was excellent and not just in the shootout. I was thought he was unbelievable. Big road game. Every point is huge and at the start of a road trip it’s even better.”
ONE TIMERS
*Let’s skip the blowing smoke and just tell it like it is: Elias Lindholm has