Bruins return to TD Garden to face Blue Jackets after Olympic break

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 27, 2026 1:04 AM ET

Bruins return to TD Garden to face Blue Jackets after Olympic break

bruins play resumes Thursday night at TD Garden, a 7 p. m. ET matchup on Feb. 26 that will have immediate playoff stakes: Boston holds the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, and the Columbus Blue Jackets trail by four points.

Korpisalo to start in net for Boston

Joonas Korpisalo will start in net for Boston on Thursday at TD Garden, a move announced as the team comes off a 22-day Olympic break. The game is scheduled for 7 p. m. ET on Feb. 26.

Bruins back from Olympics with McAvoy joining morning skate

Charlie McAvoy joined the Bruins for an optional morning skate on Thursday after returning from the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, where he earned a gold medal with Team USA on Sunday. Head coach Marco Sturm said McAvoy returned to Boston early Wednesday morning and would be a game-time decision.

Sturm stresses every point counts late in season

Sturm framed the matchup in end-of-season terms: “It’s getting closer to the end, and that means every point counts, ” he said, adding the team will focus game by game with short goals toward the big picture. Sturm said he was glad to be home and glad to get things going again ahead of the game against Columbus.

Blue Jackets arrive on a hot streak and tighter playoff chase

The Blue Jackets have won 11 of their last 12 games, including a seven-game winning streak, pulling them to within four points of the Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Columbus also sits four points behind the New York Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division and opens its first home game since the break on Saturday against the Islanders.

Columbus practice work, health and lineup shifts

Columbus practiced hard all week under coach Rick Bowness to get legs and lungs back; the club’s record stands at 29-20-7. Bowness said challenges coming out of the break include getting competitive reads, timing and physical contact back — “In practice, you’re going to take a guy out of the play. In Boston, you’re going to get hit. ” He said these are playoff games for both teams and that intensity should be high.

Systems tweaks, special situations and depth notes

Bowness planned substantive system changes but settled on small tweaks after the Jackets’ run leading into the break. Practices combined intense skating drills and finer work: the team rehearsed six-on-five play for when the goaltender is pulled and three-on-three situations. Bowness said the Blue Jackets are as healthy as they’ve been all season and at this stage in many years, which has him feeling good about depth and all four scoring lines.

Lineup context: Jenner, Fantilli and Werenski

Boone Jenner — a captain and first-line center two seasons ago — is now centering the fourth line while picking up minutes through spot duty and special teams that extend his playing time beyond a typical fourth-liner. First-line center Adam Fantilli emphasized selflessness: “For me, the biggest word for us right now is selflessness, ” and that the goal is making the playoffs above individual stats or contracts. Players coming back from the Olympics, like Zach Werenski, factor into how quickly teams shake off rust.

Predictions, picks and a note on the preview page

A recent game preview lists Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle among players to watch for the Feb. 26, 7 p. m. ET matchup at TD Garden. The preview gives an ATS pick of Bruins (-1. 5), an Over/Under pick of Over (6. 5) and a score prediction of Bruins 4 - Blue Jackets 2. The page carrying those picks notes it may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners and that compensation may apply.

Both McAvoy and Sturm spoke with the media before the Bruins returned to action tonight against Columbus, and Sturm reiterated the quick-turn feel of the schedule: there is little time to ease in after 22 days off. Tonight’s game will be a barometer for both teams, and Columbus heads to Boston on the heels of a lengthy win streak and a tight playoff chase.

Recap:

Date/time: Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p. m. ET
Starting goalie for Boston: Joonas Korpisalo
Preview picks: ATS Bruins (-1. 5); Score prediction Bruins 4 - Blue Jackets 2

Boston returns to TD Garden tonight; the Blue Jackets play the Islanders at home on Saturday as their first post-break home game. Game-time decisions, lineup confirmations and recovery updates are expected closer to puck drop.