With the season winding down, the first round match-ups of the Stanley Cup playoffs are just about all set in place. With that being said, the Boston Bruins are set to face-off against their divisional rivals; the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It will be the third time the teams have matched up in the playoffs since 2013. The Boston Bruins have had the upper hand against the Toronto Maple Leafs; the last two series of course ending in dramatic fashion with both heading to Game 7. The Leafs however look quite different since meeting up last year, which could cause some problems for the B’s.
Here’s what the Bruins need to do to defeat the Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
Contain Their Superstars
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This is definitely the most offensively gifted Toronto Maple Leafs team the Boston Bruins will match-up against. They are loaded with young talent, and of course were the big winners of all off-season acquisition after the signing of veteran John Tavares.
Toronto is one of the top scoring teams, having guys as mentioned already; Tavares, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews lead the way for them. The Bruins are going to need to take advantage of having home ice advantage and getting the right match-ups against their star players.
With that being said, the Boston Bruins top shutdown defensemen are really going to have to step up and slow down the youngsters. Having a healthy Brandon Carlo could be the answer for the B’s. Look for him to log some big minutes during the first round against the Leafs top line.
Be Physical
The Boston Bruins are evidently the bigger and more physical of the two teams, and they must take advantage of that. Playoff hockey really rides on energy and emotions, and teams ride on their fourth line to create those opportunities.
Guys like Chris Wager, Noel Acciari and David Backes are going to be players the B’s are going to really depend on to finish each and every check, to create energy and to create offensive chances with their hard fore-checking. Toronto is no question the faster team, but the physical play could really have an affect on slowing them down and creating turnovers.
Stay Disciplined And Convert
The Bruins average 9:38 penalty minutes per game, which is second most in the league. The Toronto Maple Leafs, however, only average 6:11 penalty minutes per game, which is the lowest amount in the entire league.
It’s going to be crucial for the Boston Bruins to stay in-check, and stay out of the box if they want to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the Leafs already being one of the least penalised team in the league, it’s going to be big for the Bruins to take advantage of the power play chances they get and to cash-in on their opportunities when they come. The Bruins average a 26.1% with the man advantage, which is 3rd best in the league.
There’s no doubt that this is going to be a hard fought playoff series that could end up in another Game 7 showdown between the two powerhouses.
You can never look past an opponent but if the Bruins contain the Leafs superstars, be the more physical team and stay disciplined and convert on their opportunities, they could have a real shot at punching their ticket to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.