David Pastrnak and Marco Sturm could see the Bruins lock up a playoff berth Thursday without even taking the ice.

Boston is off until Saturday against Tampa Bay, but the Bruins still have a clean path to clinch before then.

The setup is simple enough. Boston is sitting in the top wild-card spot with 96 points.

That puts the pressure on the teams chasing them, not on the Bruins themselves for one night.

For Boston to clinch Thursday, it needs 3 regulation results to go its way. No overtime, no shootout cushion, no extra points for the clubs behind them.

The first piece is Toronto beating the Islanders in regulation. That game goes at 6:45 p.m. ET and is the early one Bruins fans need to watch closely.

The second piece is Philadelphia beating Detroit in regulation. That one matters because the Red Wings are one of the teams still trying to catch Boston.

Boston could lock in playoffs from the couch tonight

The third piece is Buffalo beating Columbus in regulation. Just like Detroit and New York, the Blue Jackets cannot collect even 1 point if Boston wants the berth Thursday.

That is really the whole Bruins angle. If the Islanders, Red Wings, and Blue Jackets all lose in regulation, Boston is in.

It would be a big step after last season's miss. The Bruins failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16, ending an 8-season run of postseason appearances.

Now they are on the edge of getting right back. And they can do it from the couch before Saturday's afternoon puck drop.

That is why Thursday night suddenly has real weight around Boston even without a Bruins game on the board. Fans are going to be scoreboard watching all over the East.

The funny part is how little Boston can control now. The Bruins already did enough to put themselves in position. Thursday is about whether the teams behind them leave the door open or slam it shut.

If the perfect chain hits, Boston gets its answer early and can head into the Tampa Bay game with the pressure off.

If not, the Bruins still keep the chance to finish the job themselves. But the cleanest outcome is sitting right there, and Thursday night could hand Boston its playoff ticket without a single Bruins shift.

Source: Bruins NHL Playoff Clinching Scenarios: How Boston Can Earn Berth on April 9