The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are facing off in the first round of the NHL Playoffs, with the Bruins currently holding a 3-1 lead in the series. This Saturday’s game will be the ninth time the two teams have met this season, with the Bruins coming out on top in the previous matchup with a score of 3-1.
The Bruins have been particularly dominant within the Atlantic Division, boasting a 21-6-3 record and have shown their proficiency in power-play situations, with a 21-7-6 record in games where they have scored one or more power-play goals. On the other hand, the Maple Leafs have been able to score 298 goals this season while allowing 261, resulting in a scoring differential of +37.
Key players to watch in this matchup include David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand for the Bruins, who have been performing well with 47 goals and 63 assists, and five goals and six assists respectively in their last 10 games. For the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews and John Tavares have been standout performers with 69 goals and 38 assists, and six goals and one assist over the past 10 games.
Both teams are dealing with injuries; Justin Brazeau, Derek Forbort, Milan Lucic