Need to Know: Bruins vs. Devils

BOSTON –– It is the regular-season finale for the Boston Bruins on Tuesday at TD Garden.

The B’s will host the New Jersey Devils for a 7 p.m. puck drop in their last game before the playoffs. Boston, which earned a postseason berth on Saturday, can clinch the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a win on Tuesday.

“We want to win this game. I think that’s pretty clear for us,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “I do believe you need a little bit of momentum going in to feel good. Especially where we’re at as an organization, as a team. We still have a lot of young kids, we still have guys who have never played a playoff game before, so I think that’s going to be important.”

James Hagens is set to make his TD Garden debut. The 19-year-old forward skated in his first NHL game on Sunday; he had an assist in the Bruins’ 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hagens is expected to be on the third line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov.  

“Nothing changes, that’s what I told him. Nothing changes if you’re on the road or you’re at home. You want to play the same way and have the same attitude,” Sturm said of Hagens. “Just focus on your game and try to limit mistakes as much as you can. And enjoy it. I think he did a really good job in Columbus, so hopefully he can do it again tonight.”

Charlie McAvoy, Pavel Zacha, Viktor Arvidsson and Hampus Lindholm sat out on Sunday to rest. Sturm said he thinks a couple of guys will be “question marks,” but he is going to “try to play the full lineup” against the Devils.

Mark Kastelic had two points (one goal, one assist) on Sunday in Columbus. The 27-year-old forward hit the 10-goal mark for the first time in his career, and will be skating in the NHL playoffs for the first time, too.

​“I’m just very excited,” Kastelic said. “It was nice to just reset and start the year fresh. I think just the energy and the room this year has been unbelievable. Just made it a blast to come to work every day. I speak for everybody – I just feel like we’re a really tight group this year, and it’s just been a lot of fun playing for each other.”

Wait, There’s More

• Jeremy Swayman will start in net for Boston. The goaltender last played on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, making 22 saves. Swayman has a 2.76 goals against average and a .906 save percentage through 54 games.

• Sean Kuraly posted three points (one goal, two assists) on Sunday in Columbus; it was the second three-point showing of his career. The 33-year-old has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) through 81 games, and has been a key piece to the penalty kill. Kuraly centers the fourth line with Kastelic and Tanner Jeannot.

• Pavel Zacha was a first-round pick for New Jersey in 2015. The 29-year-old forward spent seven years with the organization before landing in Boston. Zacha is having a career year with 64 points (30 goals, 34 assists) through 77 games. He is on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Arvidsson.

Opposing View

• The Devils most recently beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in overtime on Sunday at Prudential Center. Nico Hischier had two goals, and Connor Brown and Dawson Mercer also scored in the win. Netminder Nico Daws made 27 saves. New Jersey has won three of its last five games ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against Boston.

• Jack Hughes leads the Devils with 77 points (27 goals, 50 assists) through 60 games. The 24-year-old forward has been centering the second line between Jesper Bratt and Brown; he is also on the first power-play unit. Hughes is on a three-game point streak and has two goals and three assists through that stretch.

• Marc McLaughlin is projected to center the fourth line between Paul Cotter and Brian Halonen. The North Billerica, Massachusetts, native signed as a free agent with Boston in 2022 and spent around three years with the organization before getting traded to New Jersey in March 2025. McLaughlin has yet to log a point through six NHL games this season.