In what undoubtedly is the most intriguing and anticipated first-round matchup of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs will meet for the second-consecutive season in a best-of-seven series.
It’s been pretty inevitable for most of the season that the two sides would meet in the first round, with both teams holding down the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Atlantic Division for the majority of the regular season.
Now, the Original Six rivals will gear up to add another chapter to their already hefty compilation of history.
Toronto is an elite offensive team, while the Bruins tout perhaps the best line in hockey with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. But the biggest gap may sit on the other side of the puck, and two NHL head coaches (who were left anonymous, but are with non-playoff teams) told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that Toronto’s defensive inefficiencies are the biggest advantage for Boston.
“I think when you look at Boston, I think to me Boston and Washington are your two teams in the East that have size, depth, heavy and hard, they have star power than can score,” Head Coach No. 2 said. “That’s a Toronto team with a lot of pieces but … I just think that the honest game that Boston plays and the depth that they have and how they’re structured, I think it will be a very competitive series but I think at the end, very similar to Washington’s qualities, Boston has guys that have been there and won. The Bruins can play any way. They can score, they can check very well, they’re well-structured, I just think they play playoff-winning hockey.”
Head Coach No. 1 went in a little harder on Toronto’s defense.
“If their forwards have the puck, they’re great. If they got to defend, they’re no good,” he said. “Can they get Boston on their heels? I honestly don’t think so. I think there’s too much of Boston’s game that is sound defensively, they won’t get themselves on their heels, and if Toronto can’t get Boston on their heels, they’re going to have to defend them and I think they’re just not good enough defensively.
“Unless Anderson is that much better than Rask — which could happen — I don’t think Toronto can beat Boston,” he said.
It took seven games to decide a winner each of the last two times these teams met in the playoffs, and that could very well be the case again.
It all starts Thursday at TD Garden with Game 1. We suggest you buckle up.
