Bruins vs Maple Leafs XVII: Strengths, Weaknesses, and a Prediction
To Sum It Up...
The Case for Either Side
What a series this ought to be.
It’ll feature two Hart Trophy candidates, a litany of All-Stars, and two fan bases that despise each other. At the end of seven games, each fought tooth-and-nail, one team will have the privilege of living to see another day; the other will not.
Goaltending and depth are two essential pieces of the playoff puzzle. Toronto excels in neither; Boston at least possesses both. It’s not hard to envision the Bruins’ power-play capitalizing on a few lackadaisical Toronto kills, and Boston’s struggles in 3-on-3 overtime won’t be an issue in the 5-on-5 postseason.
With that being said, it’s hard to see Matthews & Co. going down without a fight. Surely a player riding the wave of a historic regular season does enough in the playoffs to make life really challenging for an inconsistent Bruins defense. Not to mention, the sheer lack of experience in the bottom half of Boston’s roster could provide ample opportunity for Toronto’s peripheral players to excel.
Final Prediction
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” wrote George Santayana. Since 1959, the Toronto Maple Leafs have stared history dead in the eyes on six different occasions. Each time, an opportunity to rectify the past; each time, a failure to do so.
Who am I to think 2024 should be any different?
This one goes seven, and it’ll look daunting for both squads along the way. But, as a parting gift to longtime Bruins announcer Jack Edwards, the black-and-gold will show hearts of lions, and they’ll turn the Leafs to mulch once again.
Boston in seven.
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