The Boston Bruins (43-24-8) used a strong first and even stronger third period to defeat the Dallas Stars (44-19-12) 6-3 on Tuesday night inside TD Garden.
Viktor Arvidsson scored a hat trick, leading the Bruins in their victory.
The game itself was another playoff-style, tight-checking game. Through the first two periods, the teams combined for a total of 27 shots on goal.
The Bruins sprang out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Marat Khusnutdinov and Arvidsson. The B's carried that lead into the second period, where the Stars pushed back.
Dallas outshot Boston in the period and flexed their muscle as a whole, with veterans Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene both striking to tie the game.
Joonas Korpisalo drew the start and played solidly, making 13 saves in the win.
David Pastrnak had three assists on Boston's first three goals.
Jake Oettinger manned the goal for Dallas, making 17 saves in the defeat.
Elsewhere in the NHL, the Bruins got nothing but good news. The Florida Panthers destroyed the Ottawa Senators. The Pittsburgh Penguins blew out the Detroit Red Wings. Lastly, the Washington Capitals held off the Philadelphia Flyers.
That rounds our the 9th, 10th, and 11th-placed teams in the Eastern Conference, all losing.
The Bruins go to sleep tonight eight points clear of the playoff cut line, a virtual lock to make the playoffs.
First Period:
The game began with very limited offense on either side, with just four total shots on the net for nearly the first 10 minutes of the period.
That was until Henri Jokiharju ripped a shot on a goal, producing a rebound. That's when Khusnutdinov snagged the rebound, and slammed the puck home.
Boston began to pull away from Dallas as the period wore on, but couldn't break through.
Eventually, the Bruins were rewarded. Just as a penalty expired, the Bruins buzzed. Pastrnak threw a rebound to the crease with Oettinger displaced, and Arvidsson made no mistake.
Second Period:
The Stars pushed back hard after only posting five shots on goal in the first period.
Less than five minutes into the frame, Benn used his big frame to force a puck to the front, kicking it to his blade.
He did a half-wraparound, and snuck it through Korpisalo's five-hole.
Lukas Reichel nearly answered with a dazzling goal, but couldn't beat Oettinger in tight.
Later, Dallas' superstar Jason Robertson broke free for a breakaway on Korpisalo.
Korpisalo came up massive, with not one, but two pad stops on Robertson.
Despite Korpisalo's big saves, Boston couldn't stop the pressure forever. Duchene stole a puck from Andrew Peeke behind the net, walked in front with no Bruin near him, and sniped it top shelf on Korpisalo.
The Bruins got a man advantage with just under two minutes to go in the period, but did not convert. They had 13 seconds of carry over into the third period.
Third Period:
The Bruins only needed those 13 seconds to take the lead back.
Pastrnak set up Elias Lindholm for a clean zone entry. Lindholm walked in and sniped it on Oettinger, a perfect start to the third.
Boston didn't sit back for a second. They were all over Dallas with relentless pressure, winning loose pucks and cycling.
The cycling led to Jokiharju's snipe, after Morgan Geekie cycled then threw one in front. The puck bounced out to Jokiharju at the blue line, and he sniped it through the screens of Reichel and Elias Lindholm.
The Bruins just shut down the Stars the rest of the night.
Duchene turned it over as the Stars pulled the goalie. Arvidsson fired it from his own zone, and made it 5-2.
In the final two minutes, Boston went down shorthanded and Wyatt Johnston snuck downlow and sniped Korpisalo with 56.8 to go in the third.
Arvidsson polished off the hat-trick with 12.6 seconds to go.