Columbus Blue Jackets vs Boston Bruins Prediction & Preview - 2/26/2026


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.
Pick: Boston Bruins Moneyline ATS PRO
Confidence: 3.5 out of 5

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 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.
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.
Score Projection: Columbus 3 – Boston 4 ATS PRO
Win Probability: Columbus 47%, Boston 53% ATS PRO
This game will likely be a tight battle between a Boston team that has stellar scoring talent and a Columbus squad riding a wave of confidence that will try to pick things back up out of the break. My best bet for this matchup is for Boston to get the win on their home rink, as they should snap Columbus' winning streak in a huge game in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
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