The Boston Bruins are preparing for their 1st round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Bruce Cassidy gave some insight into some of the team’s strategy heading into the playoffs.
Playoff hockey has finally arrived. Soon Game 1 will be here and the Boston Bruins will be facing off against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This will definitely be an interesting series. Last postseason we saw Boston defeat the Leafs in 7 games in a hard-fought series. It was definitely a fun one to watch.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
Boston definitely has the edge going in. Just looking at things on paper they are far more talented and are coming off a much better season. One could even say that the Leafs were a disappointment.
The Maple Leafs made one of the biggest signings in the offseason by acquiring John Tavares. They seemed like they were guaranteed to at least be the No.2 seed, but failed to do so.
I think that the Bruins have the edge in the series. The first line is just too dominant for this team to lose in the first round. If it comes down to it the Bruins will get the goals they need.
It won’t be easy though. I expect this series to once again be a long one with it likely going 6 or 7 games. The Maple Leafs have always been a thorn in Boston’s side.
So let’s see what Bruce Cassidy and the Boston Bruins have planned for the 1st round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
1. The need for speed
Everyone knows that Toronto is a fast team. When you have the likes of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and John Tavares.
Boston’s head coach Bruce Cassidy appeared on 98.5 the Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich show and gave fans a peek inside his head going into the series.
According to the coach, the Bruins will have a much faster lineup.
"“I will tell you this, I do expect the first game to be the fastest game of the series,” Cassidy said. “I think Toronto understands how they have to play to beat us, and I think we can certainly keep up the pace. I think we’re a more physical team once it gets going. Last year we kind of dragged them into that game. I think it worked in our favor. I don’t know if they’ll bite on that again this year, so I think the first game we’re looking at probably dressing our fastest lineup. We have a couple more days to decide and sort through it, but that’s kind of the direction we’re going."
David Backes is definitely not the fastest skater on the planet. Especially in the 2nd half of the season, he became much more of an enforcer.
More from Boston Bruins
- Boston Bruins fans better be ready for a bridge year
- Boston Bruins Rumors: Why letting Tyler Bertuzzi walk is a big mistake
- Boston Bruins Rumors: Milan Lucic back returns to the Black & Gold express
- Boston Bruins Draft class 2023: Grades & thoughts on draft selections
- Boston Bruins win 3 big awards at NHL Awards Gala: Thoughts & reactions
Now there will definitely be plenty of hard hits in the playoffs, but Backes presence isn’t needed. Rarely do we see fights in the playoffs.
Backes is definitely near the end of his career. This could be the last cup run that he is a part of.
Backes is the last of a dying breed in the NHL, but hopefully he can help win the Boston Bruins a Stanley Cup in any role.
2. Connor Clifton is in
Also in the interview, Cassidy seemed to hint at who would be playing in Kevan Miller’s place on the bottom defensive pairing.
Cassidy raved about Connor Clifton during the interview making it seem like the rookie will get the start.
Clifton had a quality season in 2018-19. He was forced into the spotlight because it seemed like all the Bruins defenseman were getting hurt.
Clifton did rather well the stat sheet doesn’t really show that but when you watch Clifton a smile will usually come across your face.
The rookie is a hard hitter who can move fast enough to keep up with some of the fastest players in the league.
This move should help the Bruins. Clifton can change the momentum of a game with a single hit. We have also seen that Clifton isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. In his first ever game he dropped the gloves with Jason Spezza.
Clifton will get an opportunity in the playoffs to prove that he belongs in the NHL and earn himself a spot on the starting roster for next season.
3. Cassidy is confident in both goaltenders
Also during the interview Cassidy mentioned that he is confident in both of his goaltenders. I don’t blame him. Jaroslav Halak and Tuukka Rask both had quality seasons.
Cassidy also mentioned that he won’t have a tight leash on Rask. I think this is important because if Rask is pulled too early it could mess with his head and ruin him for the rest of the series.
This will be a big postseason for Rask. This team seems to have all the qualities of a Stanley Cup contender. Rask could finally lead a team to a Stanley Cup. It would be really hard to hate him if he brings the city a championship.
Playoff hockey is back in Boston. The Bruins start on a journey to a Stanley Cup and will look to be celebrating in the coming months.
But the team needs to be focused on the 1st round and defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs.