The Boston Bruins will open the Eastern Conference first round by hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. This will be the fifth meeting between the two teams this season, with the Bruins dominating the regular season series by going 4-0 against the Maple Leafs. Their last matchup on March 7 saw the Bruins come out on top with a 4-1 victory.
Boston has had a strong season overall with a record of 47-20-15, including an 18-5-3 performance in Atlantic Division play. The Bruins have been particularly successful when scoring at least three goals, boasting a 44-3-7 record in those games. On the other hand, Toronto has a record of 46-26-10, with an 11-12-3 record within the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs have found success when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent, holding a 24-9-2 record in those situations.
Key performers for the Bruins include Charlie Coyle, who has scored 25 goals with 34 assists, and Pavel Zacha, who has tallied four goals and eight assists in the last 10 games. For the Maple Leafs, Mitchell Marner leads the way with 27 goals and 57 assists, while Auston Matthews has scored 10 goals and three assists in the past 10 games.
In their last 10 games, the Bruins have gone 6-4-0, averaging 2.5 goals per game and giving up 2.1 goals per game. The Maple Leafs have posted a record of 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, averaging 3.7 goals while giving up 3.5 goals per game.
Both teams are dealing with injuries heading into this matchup. The Bruins will be without Justin Brazeau (upper-body), Milan Lucic (personal), and Matthew Poitras (shoulder). The Maple Leafs are missing Bobby McMann (lower-body), John Klingberg (out for the season, hip), Matt Murray (hip), Max Domi (undisclosed), Calle Jarnkrok (hand), and Jake Muzzin (out for the season, back).