Bruins Spoil Wild's Playoff Clinch Chance with 6-3 Victory

Pavel Zacha scores twice as Boston hands Minnesota its sixth loss in nine games

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:39am

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The Boston Bruins defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-3 on Saturday, preventing the Wild from clinching a playoff spot. Pavel Zacha scored two goals for the Bruins, including a game-sealing score late in the third period. The Bruins have won four of their last five games and 15 of their last 17 home games, while the Wild have lost six of their last nine.

Why it matters

The win keeps the Bruins in a tight race with the Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division, while the loss is a setback for the Wild, who had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a victory.

The details

The Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first two periods with goals from Andrew Peeke, Pavel Zacha, and Viktor Arvidsson. The Wild rallied with goals from Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, and Ryan Hartman to make it 4-3, but Zacha's second goal of the game sealed the win for Boston.

  • The Bruins scored just 61 seconds into the game to take a 1-0 lead.
  • Zacha extended the Bruins' lead to 2-0 with a goal 14 minutes into the first period.
  • Arvidsson made it 3-0 for the Bruins midway through the second period.

The players

Pavel Zacha

A forward for the Boston Bruins who scored two goals in the game, including the game-sealing goal late in the third period.

Kirill Kaprizov

A forward for the Minnesota Wild who scored a goal in the second period to pull the Wild within 3-1.

David Pastrnak

A forward for the Boston Bruins who extended his season-high point streak to 12 games with two assists in the game.

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What’s next

The Wild will host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, while the Bruins will travel to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on Sunday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the Bruins' strong home performance this season and their ability to hold off a late rally by the Wild, while also exposing the Wild's recent struggles and their inability to clinch a playoff spot on this occasion.