BOSTON – One more evening, one more stride forward in the Bruins’ quest for the postseason.
The Boston Bruins (43-24-8) secured a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars (44-19-12) at TD Garden, with a dominant four-goal outburst in the third period sealing the win for Boston. Viktor Arvidsson achieved a hat trick, Elias Lindholm netted his initial power-play goal since January 22, and Henri Jokiharju registered his first goal as a Bruin.
Viktor Arvidsson’s three-goal performance marks his first since March 2022, when he played for the Los Angeles Kings. The day also held personal significance for the Arvidsson family.
“Indeed, my eldest [daughter] is turning five, so that was quite special, getting a hat trick on her birthday,” Arvidsson remarked post-game.
He smiled when questioned if the puck would be given to her.
Arvidsson has now amassed 10 goals since the Olympic hiatus, placing him second to Pavel Zacha (13), and leads the team with a plus-14 rating. He was quick to modestly describe his hat trick as “easy,” yet his three goals proved decisive on Tuesday night.
Arvidsson sent two pucks into an empty net, both launched from beyond center ice. His other goal came courtesy of David Pastrnak, who concluded the night with three assists.
Following the break, Elias Lindholm had recorded three points over 12 contests. He has since gathered seven points in his last six outings, including five goals.
“He performed well. Not only this evening. I believe that ever since he’s been positioned in that C3 role, I feel he, along with Lukas, you know, Geeks. I feel he now possesses greater liberty. He plays more authentically,” Marco Sturm commented regarding Lindholm.
“He is certainly healthy now, returned to full health. Do not overlook that fact. He participated in the Olympics, but he wasn’t at 100%.”
The Bruins established an early 2-0 advantage in the first period, but the Stars managed to equalize the score in the second.
Elias Lindholm’s power-play marker on Tuesday was his initial one since January 22, and it served to shift the momentum back in Boston’s favor.
“In the first period, we played effectively,” Lindholm stated after the contest. “During the second period, we kind of, you know, we obviously anticipated them coming out stronger, and we somewhat dipped a bit. I thought they played some good hockey. And that 3-2 goal immediately, it was monumental.”
The goal occurred merely 13 seconds into the period, and the Bruins then scored two more times before the Stars netted their third goal.
Henri Jokiharju subsequently registered his inaugural goal wearing a Bruins jersey. He was acquired at the 2025 Trade Deadline and has participated in 57 games.
He has never experienced a playoff game in his NHL career, having spent his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks and the subsequent six years in Buffalo.
“Oh, absolutely. Absolutely, [it means] a great deal,” Jokiharju expressed about contributing to a playoff push. “However, you know, as I’ve stated previously, it’s a tremendous, tremendous win for us. Naturally, it feels good to achieve those personal milestones and points. But at this juncture of the year, I truly enjoy playing. I’ve genuinely never participated in these types of games before this late in the year. So it’s incredible. And just, you know, it’s such a vastly different sensation than before.”
After suffering a home loss against Toronto, the Bruins then faced four consecutive teams positioned within the playoff picture. They emerged victorious in all four encounters, thereby enhancing their playoff prospects.
“The fortunate aspect is that, you know, everyone was discussing, and it’s true, everyone was discussing the schedule, you know, the Bruins possess the most demanding schedule,” Sturm noted. “Yes, I concur with that as well. But what I appreciated about it is we consistently seem to perform better when we compete against superior teams, and for us, the playoffs commenced a considerable time ago. That is the positive attribute of our team currently. We desire to be challenged right now.”
“I do believe so,” Sturm affirmed when asked about the players’ conviction that they can defeat any opponent. “I think that truly, the guys are confident [in] themselves, and they recognize we are a capable, robust team.”
The Bruins also received some favorable outcomes elsewhere. They now hold a six-point advantage over the Blue Jackets for the second wild card spot; Columbus suffered a loss on Tuesday. Ottawa, Detroit, and Philadelphia also fell on Tuesday; all are vying for the second wild card position.
According to MoneyPuck, the Bruins’ probability of making the playoffs now stands at 98.1%. The magic number is currently nine, as per Hockey Magic Numbers. The Bruins have seven games remaining on their schedule.
Their next match is against the Florida Panthers (36-35-13), a team plagued by numerous injuries and ranked last in the Atlantic Division.
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The report titled “Another Step Closer: Examining Bruins’ Triumph Over Dallas” originally appeared on Boston Hockey Now.
