Bruins face Blue Jackets in return from Olympic break at TD Garden
The bruins return to TD Garden on Thursday at 7 p. m. ET after a 22-day Olympic break, and the matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets has immediate standings stakes: Boston holds the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and Columbus sits four points back.
Korpisalo in goal as Boston opens post-Olympic slate
Joonas Korpisalo will start in net for Boston on Thursday at TD Garden, the club announced as it ends 22 days without game action because of the Olympic break. Head coach Marco Sturm said the timing matters with the season winding down: “It’s getting closer to the end, and that means every point counts. I realize that, we all realize that. Again, our focus will [still] be on game by game. ”
Blue Jackets surge pushes playoff chase tighter
Columbus has won 11 of its last 12 games and carries a seven-game winning streak into the trip to Boston, pulling within four points of the Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets are 29-20-7 this season and will play the New York Islanders on Saturday — their first home game since the Olympic break — after the Thursday visit to TD Garden.
Practice work, tweaks and messages from Columbus
Coach Rick Bowness said the Blue Jackets spent the past week practicing hard to get legs and lungs back and to restore game timing and physical contact. He described the focus in practical terms: players worked intense skating drills, six-on-five play with the goalie pulled and three-on-three situations. Bowness had planned bigger system changes but made only small tweaks after the team’s strong run, and he said the intensity Thursday should be high because “these are playoff games for both teams. They (the Bruins) don’t have a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. We’re trying to catch them. ”
Lineup depth and player roles shaping Columbus’ comeback
Bowness said the Blue Jackets are as healthy as they’ve been all season, a factor that has him confident in depth across four scoring lines. The coach noted Boone Jenner — once a first-line center and now a captain — is centering the fourth line while picking up extra minutes through spot duty and special teams. First-line center Adam Fantilli emphasized team focus: “For me, the biggest word for us right now is selflessness. It’s got to be everybody buying into the common goal of making the playoffs. Playoffs are all that matter, not our stats, not contracts. ”
Olympians return to Boston; McAvoy’s status and remarks
Charlie McAvoy, fresh off winning a gold medal with Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on Sunday, joined the Bruins for an optional morning skate on Thursday. Sturm said McAvoy would be a game-time decision after getting back to Boston early Wednesday morning. McAvoy reflected on the Olympic experience and refocusing on the NHL: “It is so hard to win in this game. Now I have a win there on my record. Hopefully, a Stanley Cup isn’t too far behind. ” He added that players must “dial back in” and noted there are 25 regular-season games left, saying he’s “really excited for the second half. ” McAvoy spoke after the Bruins’ return to action tonight against CBJ, while Sturm spoke with the media before BOS vs. CBJ.
Odds, picks and the media page that compiled them
A separate prediction page lists the game for Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p. m. ET at TD Garden and highlights Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle as two players to watch. That page provides betting guidance — ATS Pick: Bruins (-1. 5); O/U Pick: Over (6. 5); Score Prediction: Bruins 4 - Blue Jackets 2 — and notes it includes puck line, moneyline, total Over/Under, expert picks and viewing information. The page says it may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners and that sign-ups or wagers may generate compensation; it also states it used technology from Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Both teams acknowledged rust is possible after the Olympic break and that the early games could be ragged. Bowness stressed the Blue Jackets are not the only club getting up to speed; the Bruins face the same challenge, and for players coming back from the Olympics, like the Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, the exact adjustments are unclear in the provided context.
Boston hosts Columbus at TD Garden Thursday at 7 p. m. ET; Columbus returns home to play the New York Islanders on Saturday as the teams push into the final stretch of the season.
