BOSTON — The Boston Bruins’ fiercest playoff rivalry of late is firing up again.
The Bruins will play the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1 of the NHL playoffs. A 3-1 Boston loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, coupled with a 5-2 Florida Panthers win over the Maple Leafs, locked the Bruins into the second seed in the Atlantic Division.
The team expects Game 1 to be Saturday at TD Garden. Game 2 would be April 22.
This will be the fourth time since 2013 that the Bruins and Leafs meet in the first round. They have all gone the Bruins’ way. The Bruins, down 4-1 in Game 7 in 2013, rallied to beat the Leafs in overtime. In 2018, the Bruins beat the Leafs in seven games. In 2019, the Bruins also dispatched the Leafs in Game 7. Brad Marchand is the only player from either team to have appeared in all four series.
What to know:
Who starts Game 1?
Since the March 8 trade deadline, Linus Ullmark (.935 save percentage) has had the upper hand over Jeremy Swayman (.884). The defending Vezina Trophy winner deserves to go.
There is one wrinkle.
Swayman started the Bruins’ past two games against the Leafs. He let in only one goal each time.
On March 4, the night Ullmark caused a firestorm by watching the game in the dressing room instead of on the bench, Swayman stopped 32 of 33 shots in the Bruins’ 4-1 win.
On March 7, the day before the deadline, Swayman turned back 28 of 29 shots in another 4-1 win. Afterward, Swayman got choked up when discussing the possibility of hugging Ullmark for the last time.
Swayman is coming off a 23-save sparkler against the Washington Capitals on Monday. He was the only Bruin to show up. According to MoneyPuck, the Capitals were expected to score 6.38 all-situations goals, given the quality and quantity of their chances.
Ilya Samsonov projects to be Toronto’s Game 1 goalie.
Will it be Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark in Game 1? (Claus Andersen / Getty Images)
Old friend Bert
The Bruins wanted to bring back Tyler Bertuzzi. He led the Bruins with 10 playoff points last year. They liked the left wing’s blend of belligerence and touch. After all, they gave up their 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-rounder to get him from the Detroit Red Wings.
Bertuzzi wanted term with the Bruins. They were not in a position to give it to him. So Bertuzzi went to market on July 1. He did not find the security he wanted.
By the time Bertuzzi and the Bruins reconnected on a short-term possibility, general manager Don Sweeney had already signed Patrick Brown, Morgan Geekie, Milan Lucic, Jayson Megna, Anthony Richard, Kevin Shattenkirk, Luke Toporowski, James van Riemsdyk and Parker Wotherspoon on July 1. The Bruins had no money left for Bertuzzi.
The next day, Bertuzzi signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Leafs. Bertuzzi has 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points with one game remaining.
McAvoy vs. Matthews
Charlie McAvoy and Auston Matthews go back a long way. The 1997-born McAvoy and Matthews were summer teammates for the Boston Junior Bruins tournament clubs. They played together at the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons.
They are sure to see plenty of each other on the ice.
McAvoy is the Bruins’ No. 1 defenseman. The Bruins may use McAvoy with Hampus Lindholm. If so, the power pair will take most of its shifts against Matthews, Toronto’s top-line center, and linemates Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner.
Matthews is in the Hart Trophy running with his 69 goals. McAvoy’s job will be to reduce Matthews’ time with the puck.
Brandon Carlo will then be tasked to shadow William Nylander, the Leafs’ second-most-dangerous scorer. Nylander, a former junior teammate of David Pastrnak, is on Toronto’s second line with Matthew Knies and John Tavares.
Carlo left Monday’s game in the third period because of an undisclosed injury. He did not play Tuesday in the regular-season finale against the Ottawa Senators. He will be ready for Game 1, said coach Jim Montgomery.
Auston Matthews and Charlie McAvoy renew acquaintances during warmups on March 4. (Calua Andersen / Getty Images)
Maroon vs. Reaves
Fights do not occur often in the playoffs. But by adding Pat Maroon at the deadline, the Bruins have at least one tough guy to take on Ryan Reaves if necessary. Reaves is among the league’s toughest heavyweights. The Bruins did not have anyone equipped to challenge Reaves before acquiring Maroon.
The two fought in 2021-22. Maroon was with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Reaves the New York Rangers.
DeBrusk’s final Bruins-Leafs series?
Jake DeBrusk has elevated his performance against Toronto in the playoffs. In 2018, he led the Bruins with five goals against the Leafs. DeBrusk popped in two of those five goals in Game 7.
The following year, Nazem Kadri dropped DeBrusk with a stick to the face in Game 2. Kadri was suspended for the rest of the series. It may have been the deciding factor in the Bruins taking Round 1.
Whether this will be DeBrusk’s final postseason tilt against the Leafs with the Bruins remains to be seen. The left-shot forward is approaching unrestricted free agency. The closer DeBrusk gets to July 1, the more likely it becomes he wishes to test the market.
(Top photo of Brad Marchand: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
