The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins 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 their 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 a strong overall record of 47-20-15. They have also shown their proficiency in power-play situations, boasting a 21-7-6 record in games where they have scored one or more power-play goals.
On the other hand, the Maple Leafs hold an impressive overall record of 46-26-10 but have been less successful against their Atlantic Division rivals, with a record of 12-15-3. They have been able to score 298 goals this season while allowing 261, resulting in a scoring differential of +37.
Key players to watch 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 over their past ten games.
In terms of recent performance, both teams have had ups and downs. The Bruins have gone through some struggles lately but managed to bounce back from it by winning four out of their last five games while averaging just under three goals per game. On the other hand, The Maple Leafs went through a rough patch where they lost six out of ten games but managed to turn things around by winning three out of their last five games while averaging nearly four goals per game.
Both teams are dealing with injuries; Boston has Justin Brazeau