Ahead of the matchup, there is a lot on the Bruins side going into the series but also a few concerns.
One of the good things, is that the Bruins plan on sticking to their goaltender system instead of going with just one netminder which has worked all season. Linus Ullmark has had a 22-10-7 record with a 2.57 GAA and .915 SV% while Jeremy Swayman has a 25-10-8 record , 2.53 GAA and .916 SV%.
Another great area is the Bruins penalty kill, the team finished the year off strong when down a man, they have killed 60 of 71 penalties over the last 27 games of the season.
On the other hand, the powerplay finished the season in rough shape with Marchand and Pasta only scoring 1 goal each on the powerplay since the All-Star break.
Another cause for concern is the path that lays ahead, if the Bruins get passed the Leafs, they will either face the Panthers or Lightning which will be another tough series which will give them back to back tough matchups in the first 2 rounds.
Hopefully the Bruins will come out strong tomorrow night and all fans will see are the positives and the possibilities that lay ahead such as a Stanley Cup ring.
Source: Boston.com: Reasons for optimism and concern for Bruins' playoff run
POLL | ||
19 AVRIL | 121 ANSWERS The positives and negatives headed into game 1 for the Bruins Who will win game 1? | ||
Bruins | 109 | 90.1 % |
Leafs | 12 | 9.9 % |
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