A week from tonight the answer to the most common question in the Hub of Hockey the past three years in early April will be revealed.

No foolin’, it’s April 1 and the fresh memories of 2015 and 2016 once again hound Bruins’ faithful: “Will the Bruins make the playoffs?”

The last two seasons, it was nada by a scant one point. In 2017, that fraction may well play out as the Black and Gold enter the last week with five games left. Two in the next 24 hours with the depleted Florida Panthers and old friend Shawn Thornton in town. A charter flight after for a Sunday matinee in the Windy City against the Chicago Blackhawks. Seems a long while back those two battled for NHL supremacy for Lord Stanley in 2013.

Tuesday, a showdown vs. the Lightning at TD Garden – three games in four days on tap. Two after to end the season.

Since last Saturday, the B’s rattled off an impressive three-game winning streak to keep them clinging to that last wildcard in the Eastern Conference. Problem is that Tampa Bay, Carolina and the Islanders have also been winning to keep pace right behind Boston, while Toronto continues to impress at No. 3 in the Atlantic Division.

The Isles were dealt a major blow in Friday night’s 2-1 win over New Jersey, losing John Tavares “week to week.”

While the Bruins enjoy a healthy roster, Frank Vatrano aside and Colin Miller in for John-Michael Liles, the Panthers are out of the playoffs and without several key players, including standouts Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov, and formidable goaltenders James Reimer and Roberto Luongo.

Former Bruin Reilly Smith turned 26 Saturday – with 35 points. Jimmy Hayes for whom Smith was dealt two years ago with five.

Tuukka Rask vs. Reto Berra — Rask 19-3-1 in 23 career games against the Panthers. Berra at 2-2-0 but a very respective 1.63 GAA in five career games against the Bruins.

While Boston is 4-0-0 this season vs. the Panthers, the ‘Cats lead the NHL in penalty killing with a 85.7% success rate.

Bruce Cassidy’s message before the game: “We are in our building, energy, put them on their heels.”

Here’s what we learned in what should have been a gimme game that turned out much closer than the final score.

Acciari two for two in contrasting first 20 minutes

Florida kept that NHL-best PK stat in place with two kills, while Boston protected Rask, holding Florida to just one shot on net in the first 10 minutes. Noel Acciari scored his first NHL goal Thursday night – his second 48 hours later. With three minutes left, he intercepted a pass on his own blue line and went the distance to beat Berra unassisted at 17:03 – with a delayed penalty shot in the making.

“I was going for the block shot,” Acciari said, “and saw that he whiffed and just kind of put the jets on and just went for it.”

“He’s got a couple goals for us,” Cassidy said after, “and he’s got some plays around the net, so if he can give us periodic timely scoring, get that out of our fourth line, that’s awesome.”

Boston outshot Florida, 10-3

See-saw second; Jagr keeps ‘Cats in the game

An outlet pass that David Krejci misplayed kept the puck in the Boston zone. A Nick Bjugstad shot caromed off Thomas Vanek past Rask to tie the game. Obtained by Florida at the trade deadline, Vanek has feasted on Boston; it was his 66th career point in 61 career games.

After Berra made the save of the game to that point on a Brad Marchand bullet, Zdeno Chara sent a screecher from the left point that Berra rebounded to an open Patrice Bergeron whose 19th goal promptly put the B’s up 2-1 at 7:56 – with Marchand in Berra’s crease — and a legitimate Florida challenge for goaltender interference.

“Good goal” the generous call by officials – with David Pastrnak also assisting.

Brando Carlo sat for two and 45-year-young Jaromir Jagr whistled a 15-footer point blank past Rask for his 16th goal and 43rd point, playing in all 78 Panthers’ games with a plus-7. Ditto on feasting on Boston with 103 points in 86 career games. To put that in perspective, Jagr has played the equivalent of one plus-season against just one team in his career that began in 1994.

A major Berra boo-boo at 14:30 gave Boston the lead after 40 minutes when a rink-length Chara pass was misplayed behind his dasher. He was 10 feet out of the net when Krejci slapped it home unassisted at 14:30.

“I had a feeling the goalie might just kind of try to kind of get it out,” Krejci said, “so I was just going to skate into area. It went in the net.”

Third consecutive strong final 20 for Rask; third No. 1 star award

Tuukka Rask played shutdown in the final period Tuesday and Thursday; ditto Saturday.

“Before that [third period] there was not a whole lot happening. A couple chances, a couple rushes,” Rask said. “But yeah, it was in the third.”

His best saves: a 2-on-1 Panthers’ rush at the 4:00 mark with Vincent Trocheck denied the tying goal, a Keith Yandle 20-foot blast with five minutes left, and a Reilly Smith in-tight backhand attempt with two minutes left.

“They certainly came with, you know, the intent to get the tying goal and pushed hard,” Cassidy said about Florida’s 13 shots, “and, you know, we bent certainly but didn’t break. Tuukka made some good stops and we were able to limit any second chance opportunities, which is important. Yeah, he was terrific.”

That was immediately followed by a Florida penalty. Twenty-six seconds later, Marchand’s 39th provided the insurance for the two big points. With 12 ticks left, Bergeron’s open-netter gave him an eighth 20-goal or better season in his 13 in Boston.

No. 3 star always No. 1 in Boston

No. 22 was voted the No. 3 star of the game. Shawn Thornton made his likely last appearance in TD Garden to a post-game standing ovation as he took a few heart-endearment twirls at center ice. He played 8:05 in 10 shifts as his stellar career winds down. In 48 games, Thorty has but two goals and two assists, but his contributions always superseded statistics.

“From day one I think the fans here really embraced me and it felt like home right away and I think that there’s not a lot of places that you go and you become that welcome,” Thornton said about the city of Boston. “I tried to give back as much as I could to let them know that I appreciate it, it’s still home, I still have really fond memories here and it’s not easy saying it’s the last one in here but I’m very happy with all the time I had in here.”