Practice Report: Bruins Start Preparation for the Playoffs

BOSTON –– Playoff preparations were underway on Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena.

The Boston Bruins, who are set to face the Buffalo Sabres in the first round, had a full-team skate after closing out the regular season on Tuesday with a 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden. The B’s hit the 100-point mark with a 45-27-10 record.

“It took everybody,” general manager Don Sweeney said. “We’re proud of where we are, but we have a lot of work to do, and we’re excited for the challenge.”

Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday at KeyBank Center; the time is still to be determined. The Bruins went 3-1-0 against the Sabres this year, most recently beating them 4-3 in overtime on March 25.

​Casey Mittelstadt, who was Buffalo’s eighth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, scored the tying goal in the third period before Pavel Zacha secured the full two points in the extra frame. Mittelstadt is ready for the rematch.

“I know what the atmosphere is going to be like, and it’s going to be nuts. I think that is going to be really fun for us. Especially to go on the road to start and play the villain role early,” Mittelstadt said. “I think our teams are built maybe a little bit differently, in terms of they’re a little smaller and faster, and we’re probably bigger and heavier. I think it will be a good contrast of that. I think it’s a good matchup for us. Obviously, going to have to come in and manage the puck and defend hard. But I think if we can do that, we will have a good chance. It is going to be a battle either way.”

It has been a busy week for both Mittelstadt and Zacha. The linemates welcomed their firstborns one day apart. Mittelstadt’s son is named Macklin, and Zacha’s daughter is named Penelope. Both babies and mothers are doing well, the forwards said.

Mittelstadt and Zacha remained on the second line with Viktor Arvidsson during Thursday’s practice. The trio was one of the Bruins’ most productive combinations throughout the regular season and is looking to carry that into the playoffs.

“It is going to be a lot of fun,” Zacha said. “We worked for this the whole season, and being able to accomplish that and basically play meaningful games until the end, too – I think that is going to help us a little bit. Mentally, we were in it the whole time.”

Zacha posted a career-high 65 points and 30 goals this year. The 29-year-old is third on the team in points, trailing just Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak. Zacha’s 11 power-play goals are ranked second on the Bruins.

“I think Pav would tell you honestly that most of the people inside the organization would say, ‘We believe you’re capable of scoring 30 goals in this league,’” Sweeney said. “He is a hell of a player on both sides of the puck. He was very disappointed not being able to go to the Olympics, but to Pav’s credit, he really used that time to get healthy first and foremost, to have a reset. His energy and his production coming out of the Olympics was massive for our group.”

Marco Sturm racked up the intensity of Thursday’s skate. The first-year head coach led his group to the postseason after the organization missed the mark in the 2024-25 campaign. Buffalo is making its first playoff appearance since the 2010-11 season.

“I think from playing them throughout the year, we kind of know what to expect. But again, I think everybody’s level is going to rise,” Mark Kastelic said. “That just makes it fun, though, and means you have to bring your best pretty much every moment. We’re definitely doing our research and stuff on them, but at the end of the day, we’ll just continue to focus on ourselves and what we can do to bring success.”

​Kastelic finished the regular season on a high note, logging three goals and one assist in the last two games. The 27-year-old forward has a career-high 12 goals this season while staying committed to his bruising fourth-line role alongside Sean Kuraly and Tanner Jeannot. Sunday will mark Kastelic’s first time playing in the NHL playoffs.

“I think we have a great diversity of players and a lot of guys that bring a lot of different elements,” he said. “I think that bodes well for us going forward. We just have a lot of character guys; I think this time of year, that’s huge.”

Kastelic and his teammates are embracing the moment. It is, after all, what they have grinded for since the first day of training camp. Boston as a sports city has high expectations, Sweeney acknowledged, and his squad is prepared to battle.

“As a professional athlete, you want the intensity and the pressure,” Sweeney said. “We were playoff-driven. We want to win, we want to be in a position to win, and now we have a chance to do that…We are at the doorstep again, and our group deserves a lot of credit. It is not easy to make the playoffs in the NHL.”

James Hagens has joined the Bruins at the most important time of the year. The 19-year-old forward, who signed his entry-level contract on April 8, skated in the final two games of the regular season. He earned his first NHL point on Sunday in Columbus. Hagens remained on the third line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov during Thursday’s practice. The youngsters could all make their NHL playoff debuts together.​

Similar to Charlie McAvoy’s route in 2017, Hagens played six games in the AHL before joining the main club. Sweeney said he noticed the attention Hagens was giving to his play away from the puck in Providence, and that the skillset was obvious.

“I thought it permeated around the room. Our guys noticed it right away. Our guys made a point of saying that they thought it was great that [Hagens] decided to go start [in Providence] rather than just assume that he was going to jump into a lineup and help us get into the playoffs,” Sweeney said. “Now it’s a great opportunity, not unlike Charlie a bunch of years ago. He is now an option for Marco if, when and where he wants to play. I think that’s how we had hoped it would play out. But it’s always up to the player to take advantage of the opportunity.”

While there is no doubt that pressure surrounds the playoffs, the Bruins are trying to strike a balance and enjoy this time, too. There was a buzzing energy on and off the ice on Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena – it is because it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

“NHL playoffs are the most special in sports. They’re just a blast to be part of,” McAvoy said. “You don’t want to miss any of these opportunities. This is a great one for us. I think it’s wide open all throughout the league. We’re really excited for this.”