Surging Boston Bruins visit the surging Toronto Maple Leafs
With the 3 Atlantic Division playoff teams virtually set in stone, the only thing left to be determined is the seeding. Tonight could end up being a playoff preview for the Boston Bruins…sort of.
There’s no way to sugarcoat this: the Atlantic Division is the weakest division in the NHL. Need any proof? Just look at the standings. Even though the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs are the top 3 teams in the Eastern Conference, the remaining 5 Atlantic Division teams find themselves among the bottom 6 spots in the entire conference.
So basically, it’s like to boil down to this in April: Toronto (surprisingly) goes on an absolute heater and snags the top spot, Tampa Bay and Boston meet in the 1st round. Boston continues their torrid pace passing the Lightning for 1st, and Tampa Bay and Toronto dance in round 1. Or, Tampa Bay holds on and gets the top seed, and Boston and Toronto faceoff in the 1st round. That would make tonight’s game in Toronto a playoff preview.
This first round matchup, if it occurs, would be a real shame and a testament to the problem with the current playoff format. The Bruins and the Maple Leafs could end with the 2nd and 3rd best record in the entire conference, yet end up having to battle in the first round (it happened last year to Pittsburgh and Columbus as well). The way both teams are playing right now, it doesn’t seem like their going anywhere. Both teams are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games, backstopped by incredible goaltending.
Toronto is coming off a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders, and the Bruins are playing their first game since an incredible comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. The teams are 1-1-1 against each other this season.
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Schedule
Tonight’s game is scheduled for a 7:00 pm puck drop at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The game will be broadcast on NESN and on 98.5 The Sports Hub. The Bruins will pack up quickly and head out for their next game tomorrow, but luckily, they only have to travel back across the border to Buffalo.
What to watch for
The reason I called this a playoff preview…sort of, is because the Maple Leafs will be without their young star Auston Matthews, who injured his shoulder in the team’s last game. The timetable for his return has been made about as clear as mud by the organization, but he will definitely be out tonight.
Nick Holden will be joining the Bruins tonight in Toronto, after being acquired from the free-falling New York Rangers. There’s been no indication that he’ll be suiting up, or watching from the press box. This trade was a curious one for many fans, as the team added a left-handed defenseman to a blueline that already is jammed up. With Monday being the trade deadline, you have to wonder if something else is in the works, and whether tomorrow might the last game in a Bruins uniform for someone.
I wish the Hart Trophy for league MVP was actually awarded to the Most Valuable Player as opposed to the person who puts up the most points. Because then Patrice Bergeron would have a legitimate chance to be recognized for being the best all-around player in the league. In 53 games he has 52 points (27-25), all while being the best penalty killer and a force on the power play. He’ll just have to settle for his record-setting 5th Selke Trophy.
Next: Bruins trade Vatrano to Florida
According to NBC Boston’s Joe Haggerty, Tuukka Rask will start in net tonight against Toronto, and back-up Anton Khudobin will play tomorrow in Buffalo. Makes sense to put out your #1 against the tougher team in Toronto, so “In Bruce we Trust.”