3 Keys: Maple Leafs at Bruins, Sport 1 of Japanese 1st Spherical – NHL.com

Matthews seems to maintain rolling for Toronto; Boston should cost up energy play
© Mark Blinch/NHLI through Getty Photographs
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs will renew their Stanley Cup Playoffs rivalry at TD Backyard on Saturday. This would be the fourth playoff collection between the 2 groups prior to now 11 years; the primary three had been all gained by the Bruins.
Boston and Toronto confronted one another most not too long ago in 2018 and 2019 postseasons, with every Bruins victory in seven video games within the first spherical. And this common season, Boston has gained all 4 matchups.
However every rival is throwing all that out.
“Which means nothing,” Bruins captain Brad Marchand mentioned.
Boston is kicking off a revenge tour of types, having misplaced within the first spherical final season in disappointing trend after a historic common season.
Toronto is trying to take one other step after profitable within the opening spherical final season, when it defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning for its first collection win since 2004.
The Bruins (47-20-15) misplaced three of 4 video games to finish the common season following a four-game profitable streak. They went 24-11-6 at residence this season. The Maple Leafs (46-26-10) misplaced their remaining 4 video games of the season (0-3-1) after going 6-1-0 of their earlier seven. They went 24-11-6 on the highway this season.
Listed below are 3 keys for Sport 1:
All season, Boston has alternated between goalies Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, and it has labored. However it’s uncommon for a staff to go together with a real goalie rotation within the playoffs. Nonetheless, the choice stays on the desk for the Bruins, who haven’t named their starter for Sport 1.
Requested who would begin, Boston coach Jim Montgomery mentioned solely, “One of many guys carrying pads.”
Ullmark completed the season 22-10-7 with a 2.57 goals-against common, .915 save proportion and two shutouts in 40 video games (39 begins). Swayman was 25-10-8 with a 2.53 GAA, .916 save proportion and three shutouts in 44 video games (43 begins).
“I’ll sum it up in the truth that we’re very assured in our goaltending,” common supervisor Don Sweeney mentioned. “I believe it’s been a energy of our hockey membership for actually the previous two years. The noise that goes on outdoors just isn’t essentially felt as a lot inside as what folks might imagine, as a result of our goalies know what the plan is. They know what their strengths are for our hockey membership and the way a lot we depend on them. And efficiency and outcomes will dictate a few of this, however we all know what the plan goes in, and so do they, and we’re snug with it.”
Although Auston Matthews didn’t fairly get to 70 targets this season — he completed the common season with an NHL-leading 69 — the Maple Leafs heart is only one offensive celebrity on a staff filled with them. So Toronto, which was second within the League through the common season with 3.63 targets for per recreation, can be in search of its offense to proceed to hum.
If the Maple Leafs can get a soar — say, by Matthews scoring early — the Bruins might have a tough time catching up as a result of they can not match their opponent goal-for-goal. And if ahead William Nylander can’t play due to an undisclosed damage — his standing is unsure for Sport 1 — Matthews turns into much more essential.
“The sky’s the restrict. He’s proven that,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned. “He’s taking part in properly, feeling good. If something, the truth that it’s a fast turnaround, proper into the playoffs right here, ought to profit somebody like Auston, who’s been such an important groove and feeling good.”
Boston’s energy play hasn’t precisely been so highly effective of late, however makes an attempt are being made to alter that. At observe Friday, Marchand and defenseman Charlie McAvoy had been on the second unit, and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was quarterbacking the primary, a change that started throughout a 6-4 win on the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 13.
“I at all times suppose you allow your high unit collectively, however it was an excessive amount of of a protracted time the place I believe they had been stale mentally,” Montgomery mentioned. “It didn’t matter who had the puck. There was no motion. There was no function to what we had been doing. We had been fading away from the web as an alternative of converging in the direction of the web. And each models right now had been converging in the direction of the web. I’m simply pleased with the tempo of the ability play.”
The Bruins, who had been 14th within the NHL with a 22.2 p.c energy play this season, ended going 3-for-32, scoring virtually as many short-handed targets (two) as power-play targets in that span.
Tyler Bertuzzi — Auston Matthews — Max Domi
Matthew Knies — John Tavares — Mitch Marner
Nicholas Robertson — Pontus Holmberg — William Nylander
Connor Dewar — David Kampf — Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly — Ilya Lyubushkin
Simon Benoit — Jake McCabe
Joel Edmundson — Timothy Liljegren
Ilya Samsonov
Joseph Woll
Scratched: Martin Jones, Noah Gregor, TJ Brodie, Conor Timmins, Mark Giordano, Cade Webber
Injured: Bobby McCann (decrease physique), Calle Jarnkrok (hand)
Danton Heinen — Pavel Zacha — David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand — Charlie Coyle — Jake DeBrusk
Jakub Lauko — Morgan Geekie — Trent Frederic
John Beecher — Jesper Boqvist — Pat Maroon
Hampus Lindholm — Charlie McAvoy
Matt Grzelcyk — Brandon Carlo
Kevin Shattenkirk — Andrew Peeke
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman
Scratched: James van Riemsdyk, Parker Wotherspoon
Injured: Justin Brazeau (higher physique), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Nylander can be a game-time resolution; Keefe had no replace on his standing after the morning skate Saturday. … Samsonov was the primary goalie off the ice following the skate and is anticipated to begin. … Jarnkrok practiced Friday for the primary time since he was positioned on long-term injured reserve March 16; the ahead’s standing for Sport 1 is undetermined. … Brazeau, a ahead, is week to week, Bruins common supervisor Don Sweeney mentioned.
NHL.com unbiased correspondent Joe Pohoryles contributed to this report
🔹 Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
🔹 Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
🔹 New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
🔹 Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders
🔹 Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights
🔹 Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche
🔹 Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators
🔹 Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

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