"Panthers for revenge or Bruins to make history": Leafs fans react to Paul Bissonnette's poll on Leafs' playoff matchup preferences

Former NHL player Paul Bissonnette sparked debate among Toronto Maple Leafs fans this week with his Twitter poll asking who they would prefer to face in the first round of the playoffs.

Bissonnette listed the Rangers, Bruins and Panthers as potential opponents, asking for fans' order of preference.

The poll elicited passionate responses from Leafs fans as they weighed revenge versus historic rivalry.

One fan commented:

“Panthers for revenge or Bruins to break history. Don't care about Rangers. Whoever they play they need to drink Pink Whitney before the game if they wanna win”

Many advocated for a matchup against the Florida Panthers, who eliminated Toronto in the first round last year. Facing the Panthers would give the Leafs a shot at avenging last season's disappointment.

However, other fans desired to take on the Boston Bruins, who boast a long and intense playoff history with Toronto. The Maple Leafs have a 40-42-1-0 record against the Boston Bruins in the playoffs all-time.

Other fans chimed in with their own opinions on the enticing potential matchups.

Here are some fan reactions:

Paul Bissonnette on the Maple Leafs' best first-round matchup

Paul Bissonnette believes the New York Rangers are the ideal first-round opponent for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bissonnette shared his perspective last week during an NHL on TNT segment.

Bissonnette explained why he prefers the Rangers to the Leafs.

"They're for sure going to get a playoff spot. I would actually be okay if they slid into a Wild Card spot and matched up against the Rangers," Bissonnette said.

“It might shuffle 10 times from now until the end of the season, but I personally like the matchup against the Rangers a lot better than their rival, the Boston Bruins, and obviously showing what Florida did to them last year and how they're built this year."

"Your first-round opponent is everything at this point," Bissonnette added.

He acknowledged there are no easy matchups out West. He believes the Rangers would be the Leafs' most favorable draw in the Eastern Conference.

The Maple Leafs next face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena.