Pre-Game Talk: ECQF GAME 1 4/20 8:14 PM - THE BEAR has the leafblower ready - NESN, NESN 4K, CBC, TBS, TruTV, MAX, TVAS, 98.5 WBZ-FM

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Fenway

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NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Bruins host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs to open the Eastern Conference first round. The teams meet Thursday for the fifth time this season. The Bruins went 4-0 against the Maple Leafs in the regular season. In their last regular season meeting on March 7, the Bruins won 4-1.

Boston has gone 47-20-15 overall with an 18-5-3 record in Atlantic Division play. The Bruins have a 44-3-7 record when scoring at least three goals.

Toronto is 46-26-10 overall with an 11-12-3 record in Atlantic Division games. The Maple Leafs have a 24-9-2 record when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent.

TOP PERFORMERS: Charlie Coyle has scored 25 goals with 34 assists for the Bruins. Pavel Zacha has four goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

Mitchell Marner has 27 goals and 57 assists for the Maple Leafs. Auston Matthews has 10 goals and three assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 6-4-0, averaging 2.5 goals, 3.9 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.

Maple Leafs: 5-4-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 5.2 assists, 5.2 penalties and 16.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Bruins: Justin Brazeau: out (upper-body), Milan Lucic: out (personal), Matthew Poitras: out (shoulder).

Maple Leafs: Bobby McMann: day to day (lower-body), John Klingberg: out for season (hip), Matt Murray: out (hip), Max Domi: out (undisclosed), Calle Jarnkrok: out (hand), Jake Muzzin: out for season (back).
 

smithformeragent

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Sep 22, 2005
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Toronto was going to get prime time in Canada

Game 2 will be Monday at 7:14 PM
Next week I’m on spring break so all bets are off.

Mother’s Day weekend, I have to go a f***ing wedding in Maine.

I’ve already clearly communicated that if it conflicts with a Bruins’ playoff game, I’m sitting there and watching on an iPad.

IDGAF
 

Aussie Bruin

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Im seeing alot of leafs fans complaining about refs bring in our favour. Am i delusional in thinking we rarely get more pp then the opposition.

We're not ref favorites for sure. The Bruins took the 5th most minor penalties in the league this season - 310 compared to Toronto's 280. Whether that sort of record was wholly earned is a matter of opinion, but I think few could deny that some of Boston's stick work has been unnecessarily sloppy or careless for quite some time. However despite the disparity and what some may think historically the Leafs haven't particularly had the rub of the green with the officials either. Really on the whole I'd say it's not a major factor - overall I don't think the refs favor us, don't think they're pro-Toronto either.

What I would say is the Bruins really need to cut down their time spent short-handed. The Leafs' PP isn't absolutely lethal - they're not Tampa - but it did strike at a handy 24% this year and it's not like it needs to be made any easier for Matthews to score. I'd back our PK to handle things well for the most part, but no point in testing that out too much when it can be avoided. By all means play hard and close to the edge, but be disciplined and don't make silly errors. The more time the Bs can spend grinding down the Leafs 5v5, the better it should be for us.
 

lopey

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We're not ref favorites for sure. The Bruins took the 5th most minor penalties in the league this season - 310 compared to Toronto's 280. Whether that sort of record was wholly earned is a matter of opinion, but I think few could deny that some of Boston's stick work has been unnecessarily sloppy or careless for quite some time. However despite the disparity and what some may think historically the Leafs haven't particularly had the rub of the green with the officials either. Really on the whole I'd say it's not a major factor - overall I don't think the refs favor us, don't think they're pro-Toronto either.

What I would say is the Bruins really need to cut down their time spent short-handed. The Leafs' PP isn't absolutely lethal - they're not Tampa - but it did strike at a handy 24% this year and it's not like it needs to be made any easier for Matthews to score. I'd back our PK to handle things well for the most part, but no point in testing that out too much when it can be avoided. By all means play hard and close to the edge, but be disciplined and don't make silly errors. The more time the Bs can spend grinding down the Leafs 5v5, the better it should be for us.
I don't often question the refs. I agree cannot be in the box, it will bite us in the ass. Just the complaining by leafs fans that we will get more PP than them is wrong.
 

ODAAT

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Oct 17, 2006
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Victoria BC
In my opinion, all pressure squarely on the Leafs, tons of money tied up in 4/5 high end talent who haven`t gone beyond the 2nd round in decades.

B`s lost a first ballot HOF`er and what I suspect will be another HOF`er in DK, nobody could have seen 109 pts, show me another team who could have lost their top two C and do what this team has done

I think this season better prepared the B`s for playoff hockey, last year was too easy, had literally zero obstacles outside the early season surgery recovery from a few players and I think never really got battle tested until the playoffs arrived. I had this team as battling for a wild card spot at the beginning of the year.

I still think they simply aren`t gritty enough to go deep but think they will break Leafs fans hearts again this year

My biggest concern is special teams
 
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