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Bruins lose in shootout, so Lightning are officially in the playoffs

Brian Boyle, Erik Condra, Ondrej Palat

Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brian Boyle (11) and Ondrej Palat (18) congratulate Erik Condra, center, after his goal against the Detroit Red Wings during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 22, 2016, in Tampa, Fla. Condra scored two goals to help the Lightning defeat the Red Wings 6-2. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

AP

The Tampa Bay Lightning might lose to the New York Rangers despite starting with a 2-0 lead, yet the scoreboard might still provide some relief ... assuming they can see some out-of-town results.

(OK, so maybe only Lightning fans will get to utter a sigh of relief, at least for now.)

With the Boston Bruins’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on the docket, the Lightning are guaranteed a spot in the 2016 playoffs. The NHL provided the ‘ol ticket punched graphic and everything:

The Bruins aren’t hopeless yet, but they remain outside of the East’s top eight thanks to tiebreaker advantages held by the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings.

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James OBrien

As you can see, this loss hurts, although the Bruins at least managed to grind out a standings point.