Bruins and Maple Leafs Battle for NHL Playoff Supremacy: A Head-to-Head Showdown

The Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to face off in the first round of the NHL Playoffs, with the Bruins currently leading 3-1 in the series. This Saturday’s game will be the ninth time these two teams have met this season, with the Bruins coming out on top in their last matchup with a score of 3-1.

The Bruins have had a strong overall record of 47-20-15 and have been particularly dominant within the Atlantic Division with a 21-6-3 record. The team has 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 Toronto Maple Leafs hold an overall record of 46-26-10, but have struggled against teams from within their own division with a less impressive 12-15-3 record. The Maple Leafs were able to score 298 goals this season while allowing 261, resulting in a scoring differential of +37.

Some key players to keep an eye on during this matchup include David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand for the Bruins, who have been performing well with 47 goals and 63 assists combined over their last ten games. For Toronto, Auston Matthews and John Tavares have been standout performers so far this season with a combined total of 69 goals and 38 assists over their last ten games.

In terms of recent performance, both teams are coming off a winning streak – Boston has won five straight games while Toronto has won four consecutive contests heading into this game. However, Boston’s offense has been averaging just under three goals per game during that streak while Toronto’s offense has been averaging just over three goals per game over their four wins. Additionally, both teams are dealing with injuries: Boston is missing Justin Brazeau, Derek Forbort, Milan Lucic, and Matthew Poitras while Toronto is dealing with injuries to Bobby McMann