Rick DiPietro Predicts Maple Leafs Will Beat Bruins in Playoffs
By jc
ESPN published some notes from its NHL experts as part of the season preview. Experts from all over offered bold predictions and breakout candidates for the new NHL season.
One bold prediction in particular is sure to catch the eye of Bruins fans. Rick DiPietro, former goalie and current radio host, predicts that the Toronto Maple Leafs will defeat the Bruins in the playoffs. Here’s what he said:
“The Toronto Maple Leafs finally get past the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. They had their opportunity last year with a 3-2 series lead headed back to Toronto, but again came up short, losing the final two games of the series. The additions of Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci to go along with Morgan Rielly will help to shore up their defensive zone. Auston Matthews should flirt with 50 goals, while John Tavares and Mitch Marner will build off last year’s great regular seasons. All of this will get the Maple Leafs home ice advantage in the series and in the perfect situation to slay their postseason dragon.”
The Bruins and the Maple Leafs met three times in the playoffs: 2013, 2018, 2019. The Bruins won each series in seven games.
One consistency across each series is the fact that Boston had home ice advantage. As such, Boston and Toronto always played game seven at TD Garden. This venue became the proverbial house of horrors for the young Maple Leafs squads.
DiPietro says this year will be different because Toronto will have home ice. He believes that Toronto, with its star-studded roster, will finish above Boston in the Atlantic Division.
Toronto definitely has the talent to finish ahead of Boston. Auston Matthews looks like the early favorite to win the Richard Trophy, and he leads a forward group with Mitchell Marner, John Taveres, and William Nylander. That type of talent is a headache for any opponent.
There are, however, a few factors that hold Toronto back in relation to Boston. The Bruins have one of the league’s strongest goaltending duos. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak both are competent starters who share a workload.
Frederik Andersen is a solid starter for Toronto, but backup Michael Hutchinson is a bit of a question mark. If Toronto rides Anderson all season, will he have enough left in the tank to stand tall against Boston?
Plus, there’s Toronto’s backend. DiPietro isn’t wrong when he says that the Leafs improved the defense this offseason. Tyson Barrie is a great puck-mover, and Cody Ceci fits well in a second-pair role.
Nonetheless, even with Barrie and Ceci in the mix, Toronto will still struggle with Boston’s forwards. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak consistently wreak havoc on the Maple Leafs. Can Barrie and Ceci really do much to stop them? Probably not.
Although the season started last week, it appears safe to say that Boston and Toronto will occupy the second and third spots in the Atlantic. Therefore, it’s certainly not too early to keep a close eye Toronto and its schedule.
With home ice advantage, Toronto may be in a position to finally take down the Bruins. Boston certainly has the depth and experience to win on the road, but it will prove difficult.
However, if Boston retains home ice, expect Toronto’s season to end in mid-April yet again.
light. Related Story. Top Bruins games in October
The Bruins and Leafs meet twice in October. We’ll see early on how the teams stack up this season.