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The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs are here, and in the Eastern Conference, two storied franchises, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, will meet for the first time since 2019.
In their history, the Maple Leafs have not beaten the Bruins in a playoff series since 1959. But on the positive side, Toronto did get past the first round to end a 19-year drought in 2023.
Let's look at three key player matchups that will play a huge role in this series.
3 key player matchups that will have a huge effect on Maple Leafs vs Bruins series
#1. Goaltending battle
Similar to the Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders series, this first-round matchup could feature more than two goaltenders.
For Toronto, Ilya Samsonov has carried the load for most of the season. But with a .890 save percentage and a 3.13 goals-against average, he has been far from solid. Behind him, the Maple Leafs could rely on 25-year-old Joseph Woll, who played well in four playoff appearances last year.
The Bruins, on the other hand, have two excellent goaltenders.
Linus Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy last season, and although he has struggled to replicate the same numbers in 2023-24, he is still a very good goaltender. Jeremy Swayman has stepped up and flipped the 1A/1B goaltending situation upside down in Boston.
He will likely start Game 1 but don't be surprised to see three or even four goaltenders throughout the series.
#2. Auston Matthews vs David Pastrnak
Superstars come alive in the playoffs, right? Well, we have some huge name superstars in this series.
Auston Matthews scored 69 goals for the Maple Leafs this season, a career-high and just one short of joining a very elite list. He has been unstoppable.
David Pastrnak, far and away, leads the Bruins with 110 points (47 goals, 63 assists). The next best player is Brad Marchand, with 67 points. Pastrnak scored five goals in the seven-game defeat against the Florida Panthers in 2023.
#3. Ryan Reaves vs Brad Marchand
These two are almost guaranteed to come together at some point. Don't expect it to take long, either.
As two of the tougher players in the NHL, Ryan Reaves and Brad Marchand have their way of doing things.
Reaves is a brawler. He does not add much offense, with only four goals on the season. But the big winger will throw his weight around, drop the gloves when needed, and change the momentum of a game. He has racked up over 100 penalty minutes multiple times in his career and finished with 49 this season despite only playing 49 games.
Marchand is a much more skilled player. The longtime Bruin scored 29 goals this season and played far more important minutes than Reaves. But he also has an edge and likes to mix it up. With Reaves on the other side in the playoffs, expect to see a nasty version of Marchand in round one.
