BOSTON — The Bruins have stood atop the NHL standings for the majority of the season, but the Eastern Conference isn’t gong to give Boston an easy path to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O’Reilly and former Bruins center Noel Acciari in a trade with the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues on Friday. The trade should be a big boost for Toronto’s offense, as they sat 13 points behind Boston at the time of the trade.
Prior to the Black and Gold’s matchup against the New York Islanders on Saturday, Jim Montgomery was asked if there is internal worry over an Atlantic rival’s in-seasons acquisition.
“No, we’re really comfortable,” the Bruins head coach said. “I would still take our roster over anybody else’s.”
That’s an expected response from Boston’s bench boss, but it’s not that outlandish of a comment. The Maple Leafs likely will make another move to improve their defense or acquire another goaltender.
The Bruins also have an opportunity to make some deals before the March 3 NHL trade deadline to prepare themselves for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The O’Reilly move is a boost for Toronto — the 14th-year forward is a former Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup champion, after all — but the Bruins have been consistent in their high-level of play this season, which is why they are the favorite to win it all.
