Rangers vs. Bruins: 3 things you need to know

A desperate Boston Bruins team hosts a New York Rangers club that has already punched its ticket to the postseason.

The two clubs have split their season series to date, with New York coming out on top of the last meeting by a score of 3-2. 

Here's what you need to know before the pucks drops on Saturday's matinee.

Every point matters for Boston

The Bruins failed to pick up an extra point by allowing Anaheim to tie and subsequently win Thursday's 3-2 overtime affair, meaning Boston - tied in points with Ottawa at 85 - remains outside the playoff picture as a result of having played one more game than the Senators.

It's a surprising, and quite frankly embarrassing, spot for the reigning President's Trophy winners to be in at this point in the season, but a win over the Rangers - in advance of a Sunday tilt with Carolina - could go a long way towards ensuring the Bruins meet their base goal of making the playoffs.

Rangers rolling towards postseason

The Rangers became the first team to clinch a 2015 playoff spot, and with 101 points through 73 games, are lined up to become the next President's Trophy winners.

Boasting a record of 9-2-1 in the month of March, the Rangers are excelling at both ends of the ice, as evidenced by their league-leading plus-56 goal differential. 

Led by Rick Nash's 39 goals, New York is the NHL's fifth highest scoring team (224), and the team has allowed a second-ranked 168 goals against (one more than Chicago and Montreal), even without the services of Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist back between the pipes

Lundqvist is back from a vascular injury and will draw his first start since Feb. 2 either Saturday in Boston or Sunday against Washington.

Backup Cam Talbot played well in his absence, giving them one of the league's most formidable tandems.

The Bruins will respond with Tuukka Rask, who boasts a .930 save percentage so far in 2015.