Break out your jerseys, turn off your phones, buy a 30 rack of cheap beer, because it’s time for playoff hockey. Once again, the Bruins will duke it out with Toronto, and this series is bound for madness. Toronto’s offensive arsenal is daunting, Tavares, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Kadri, Marleau… and that’s just two lines. If Frederik Andersen plays to his full potential, that leaves the door wide open for a much more enhanced Maple Leaf team poised for a deep run. But Andersen is an incredibly streaky goaltender, and that could bode very well, or very poorly for a young Bruins team prone to frustration.
To even consider a cup run for the Leafs, they have to go through the Garden. The Bruins finished the season 2nd in the Atlantic Division and 3rd in the league behind the Calgary Flames, and the record breaking Tampa Bay Lightning. Brad Marchand finished the season over 100 points, David Pastrnak had 81 points in 66 games, Bergeron is in contention for yet another Selke trophy, and both Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak had 20+ win seasons.
The Bruins have once again proven this season that no matter who they call up from Providence, they are capable of producing. Whether it be Connor Clifton, Karson Kuhlman, or even Zach Senyshyn who scored in his debut, all three of them contributed positively.
Going back to the goaltending, it’s clear that Rask will be the starter, at least at the beginning. That decision doesn’t seem obvious to the majority of B’s fans. Quite a few fans remember a less than impressive playoff performance history from Tuukka Rask, and reference Halak’s nearly lights-out performances in the postseason. The bottom line is, Rask is the Bruins starter, but Cassidy will not, nor should he hesitate to put in Halak should Rask start to slip.
This will be defenseman Brandon Carlo’s first playoffs, missing the last two with unfortunately timed injuries. The 22-year-old has proven to be a pivotal part of the Bruins defensive core, often skating along 6 foot 9 Zdeno Chara. By the way, Carlo is 6 foot 5. That’s a large defensive pair.
Not that the Maple Leafs don’t have depth, the Bruins just may be deeper. Boston’s fourth line of Wagner, Kuraly, and Acciary have consistently provided a spark that few teams throughout the entire league have been able to administer, and that might prove to be the difference in this series. It won’t be the goaltending, it won’t be the powerhouse offense, it’ll be the fourth lines, however Bruce Cassidy arranges them.

Was that 19 game point streak impressive? Obviously. Does it matter now? Absolutely not. However, when was the last time Boston went an entire month without losing? The 2011 season. I’ll let that sink in.

My prediction for round 1: Bruins in 6

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