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Bruins vs Maple Leafs XVII: Strengths, Weaknesses, and a Prediction

Boston. Toronto. Meeting in the playoffs for the 17th time. Does it get much better than this?

By Jacob Phillips

Mar 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) fights Bruins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (29)
Mar 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) fights Bruins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (29) / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
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Toronto Maple Leafs: 46-26-10, 110 PTS

Apr 13, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) scores his 69th goal
Apr 13, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) scores his 69th goal / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths

Auston Matthews

Matthews enters the postseason coming off one of the better regular seasons we’ve ever seen. The eighth-year man played 81 games, pacing the league in goals (69) and even strength goals (51). His 107 points were a personal best, and he converted a career-high 18.7% of his shots into goals. Standing at 6’3” 208 lbs, he’s an imposing presence in and around the crease while also possessing one of the deadliest shots in the NHL. Matthews is a tough cover for any defenseman, and his night-in-night-out consistency makes him troublesome over the course of a series.

Top-Tier Costars/Power Play

Toronto’s overall depth is a concern (we’ll get to that later) but their top four forwards are as good as any. Between Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and captain John Tavares, they accrued 355 regular season points and caused issues for defensive corps across the NHL. All four feature prominently on the power-play, making it one of the league’s best units with a 24% success rate. While nobody else on the roster had anywhere near the level of success as the top four, there’s potential: both Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi had underwhelming regular seasons, but have shown star-level production during other stops in their careers. If one, or both, can come alive, the Leafs suddenly have two elite lines.

And how about the Leafs' weaknesses?

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