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(Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins hope to further strengthen their grasp on a playoff spot in tonight's encounter with a Florida Panthers squad that enters TD Garden seeking to avoid a fifth consecutive loss.

Boston enters this evening's play tied with Philadelphia and Montreal for the final three postseason seeds in the Eastern Conference with only six games remaining in the regular season. A playoff trip is far from a sure thing for the Bruins, however, as ninth-place Atlanta is lurking only two points back and the New York Rangers are four points behind in 10th.

The Bruins have been able to help their cause by winning four of their last six outings, including a big 1-0 overtime decision at playoff-bound New Jersey on Tuesday. Patrice Bergeron netted the game's only goal with just 18.3 seconds left in the additional session.

With time winding down in overtime, Boston's Mark Stuart gained control of a loose puck in the slot and unloaded a shot from the right circle. The puck hit Mark Recchi in front and slid to Bergeron, who tucked it into the open net.

"[Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur] is so good in front, that I had to find a way to tip it and either score right away or he was going to give me a rebound," Bergeron said of the play. "It was good to get the right bounce for once."

Bergeron's tally came on the Bruins' 34th shot of the evening. Boston netminder Tuukka Rask wasn't quite as busy as Brodeur on the opposite end, needing to make just 21 saves to notch his fifth shutout of the season.

The Bruins now return to TD Garden, where they've compiled a mediocre 16-16-6 record for the season and have dropped two of their last three games, to take on a Panthers club that is just about eliminated from postseason consideration. Florida is currently tied for 13th place in the East with 72 points, 10 less than Boston, Philadelphia and Montreal with six games to go.

An 0-3-1 stretch has essentially taken the Panthers out of the mix, and the team played like a non-contender in last night's 6-2 loss at Northeast Division leader Buffalo. The Sabres outshot Florida by a whopping 20-2 margin in the second period and a 41-15 count for the night.

"Pretty ugly," remarked Panthers head coach Peter DeBoer. "I thought we had a good first period...then the wheels fell off."

Jeff Taffe gave Florida a short-lived 1-0 lead when he scored less than two minutes into the contest, with Michael Frolik registering the team's only other score. A busy Tomas Vokoun stopped 35-of-41 chances for the Panthers between the pipes.

Florida has now lost three straight road games in regulation but did post a 1-0 decision over the Bruins at the Garden back in November, with Vokoun making 40 saves to lead the way. Boston has won the last two meetings between the teams, however, as well as five of the last seven bouts in the series.