Here's where Bruins stand in NHL playoff race as regular season winds down

The race for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs is heating up, and the final seedings in the Eastern Conference aren't likely to be determined until the last couple days of the regular season.

This should make for an exciting final couple weeks of April, especially in the Atlantic, where the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins are fighting for the last two playoff spots from the division.

Here's an overview of where the Bruins sit in the playoff race entering Thursday's games.

Eastern Conference Standings

Atlantic Division

	Team	W-L-OTL	PTS	ROW
1	Florida Panthers	52-15-6	110	49
2	Toronto Maple Leafs	47-20-6	100	45
3	Tampa Bay Lightning	44-21-8	96	42
4	Boston Bruins	45-23-5	95	43

The Bruins still have an excellent chance of securing third place in the Atlantic Division, which likely would set up a first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This wouldn't be a bad matchup for the Bruins, given their recent playoff success over the Leafs and the immense pressure Toronto will be under to secure its first playoff round win since 2004. 

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The Bruins could still catch the Leafs for second place and secure home ice advantage in Round 1. This scenario is pretty unlikely, though. Boston's roster has been ravaged by injuries and its schedule over the next two weeks is fairly tough with matchups versus the Penguins (twice), Blues and Rangers.

The first tiebreaker in division standings is regulation and overtime wins (ROW), and Boston has a slight advantage there over Tampa Bay entering Thursday. The Bruins and Lightning do not play again through the end of the regular season.

Wild Card

	Team	W-L-OTL	PTS	ROW
WC1	Boston Bruins	45-23-5	95	43
WC2	Washington Capitals	41-22-10	92	36

What's changed for the Bruins in the wild card race over the last week?

The Capitals are surging up the standings with a four-game win streak, putting them within striking distance of the Bruins in the first wild card spot. Washington's win streak includes a 4-2 win over Boston last Sunday.

Right now, it's looking like the first wild card team will play the Hurricanes in the first round. That also means the first wild card team would play on the Metropolitan Division side of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, and you could make a strong case that's an easier path to the conference final than the road through the Atlantic Division.

Slipping to the second wild card and playing the Panthers in Round 1 would be a tough break for the Bruins.

Projected Finish

The Bruins' are most likely to be the first wild card team, according to The Athletic's predictive model. This model has Boston finishing with 107 points -- one behind the Lightning for third place in the division and four points ahead of the Capitals in the wild card race.

The first wild card spot wouldn't be a bad place for the Bruins. As we've explained before, playing on the Metro side of the bracket probably represents the easiest path to the Cup Final. Sure, the Hurricanes would be a very tough Round 1 opponent, but a potential second-round series versus the Penguins or Rangers would be easier than a matchup against the Panthers or Lightning in Round 2. 

The real goal for the Bruins as the playoffs approach should be health, not seeding. Three of their top four defensemen are currently battling injuries, in addition to leading goal scorer David Pastrnak. Where the Bruins finish in the standings won't matter much if the team is banged up with several key players out of the lineup or less than 100 percent when Game 1 of the postseason arrives.