Boston Bruins – New York Islanders Series Prediction:
Jamie Gatlin
The Boston Bruins and New York Islanders will meet in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday night. It is the playoff matchup between these two teams since 1983. The Bruins are in the second round for the fourth consecutive season, while it is the third straight season for the Islanders.
During the regular season, New York won five of the eight meetings between the two teams. The Bruins, however, won the last three games partly due to the play of Taylor Hall. After facing the Penguins in the first round, the Islanders will again have their hands full with the Bruins’ forward group.
A few key players to watch in this series will be David Pastrnak, Taylor Hall, Mathew Barzal, and Ilya Sorokin. In the first round, Sorokin became the 10th goalie in NHL history to win his first four playoff games. As the Islanders look to extend their playoff run, Sorokin will be tasked with stopping a red-hot David Pastrnak.
For the Bruins to advance, they will need to get balanced scoring. The Islanders will need Sorokin to match Rask’s play after an impressive first round. It will be a fun matchup to watch, but Boston should be able to move on.
Prediction: Bruins in 6