The Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins are set to collide at TD Garden on Thursday night. Both teams are jockeying for position in the playoff race late in this regular season, with Boston occupying a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and the Blue Jackets close behind them. Here, I break down this matchup in the East and you will find my Blue Jackets vs Bruins prediction right here.
Our Blue Jackets vs Bruins Pick
Pick:
Confidence: 3.5 out of 5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Columbus Blue Jackets vs Boston Bruins
- Date & Time: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
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This is the first game for both teams since the three-week Olympic break. Columbus has reeled off a seven-game winning streak prior to the break and they will try to pick up where they left off here. Boston had dropped two games in a row going into the break, both of which came via shootout. It will be interesting to see which of these teams can come out the sharpest as the final stretch of the regular season begins.
Goaltending
Goaltending will be central to deciding this matchup. Boston is expected to go with Jeremy Swayman in this game as he returns from Olympic competition. Swayman had one suspect game in goal for Team USA before the US went back to American hero Connor Hellebuyck, which turned out to be a very good decision. For Columbus, Jet Greaves is expected to get the nod, who has had a much better season than Elvis Merzlikins.
Key skaters
On Boston’s side, players like Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak have paced the offense, producing a solid combined threat on the scoresheet that keeps opposing defensemen honest. Columbus counters with standouts like Zach Werenski, who leads the Jackets in goals and assists to this point in the year. The clash of top lines could end up deciding this game, especially with Swayman and Greaves having similar numbers in net this year.
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of three regular-season meetings set to take place between the Blue Jackets and Bruins this season.
- Columbus is 14-12-3 on the road going into Thursday’s action.
- The Bruins are 21-8-1 on home ice during the 2025-26 campaign.
Blue Jackets vs Bruins Model Projection
Score Projection:
Win Probability:
Final Thoughts
