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 [April 20, 2024]
Even without the likes of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci,
both of whom retired last offseason, the Boston Bruins are still
here.
A new-look roster was still competing for the Atlantic Division
title until losing three of the Bruins' final four regular-season
games, including the last two to the Washington Capitals and Ottawa
Senators earlier this week.
The past is the past now.
A new season begins Saturday when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit
Boston to begin the journey of best-of-sevens in the Eastern
Conference first-round series.
"The worst thing you could possibly do is go into the playoffs and
think that anything you did during the season matters," Bruins
captain Brad Marchand said.
"We started (on Thursday) getting prepared for Saturday, looking at
what we need to do and the things that (the Maple Leafs) do and
we'll keep building from that."
The same sentiment also goes for Boston's four-game sweep of its
divisional rival during the regular season, which included
goaltender Jeremy Swayman posting matching 4-1 wins during a
home-and-home in early March.
Of course, the Bruins learned a painful lesson in the complete
newness of the "second season" last April, losing their seven-game
opening series to the Florida Panthers after a record-setting run to
the Presidents' Trophy.
Coach Jim Montgomery rode the near-even split between Swayman and
Linus Ullmark throughout this season and has indicated no plans to
move away from it come playoff time.
When asked about the team's Game 1 goalie, general manager Don
Sweeney nor Montgomery would commit to a starter for Saturday or
beyond, but cited continued confidence in the position.
"Performance and results will dictate some of this, but we know what
the plan is going in, and so do they," Sweeney said. "And we're
comfortable with it."
The Maple Leafs will not only look to erase their own four-game skid
to end the regular season, but also a drought of losing all six
playoff series against the Bruins in the NHL's expansion era. This
will mark the fourth series matchup between the Original Six rivals
in an 11-year span.
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Before the Bruins' season-ending losses helped
Florida clinch the division title, it looked like the first-round
playoff matchups would feature Boston vs. Tampa Bay and Toronto vs.
Florida.
Either way, both teams know the challenge that lies ahead.
"We've got to be aware of their top-end forwards," Montgomery said.
"We can't give up odd-man rushes and we gotta make them defend.
"Probably the same thing they're saying about us. It all comes down
to execution."
Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner is eager to start the playoffs.
"I think regardless of whoever we were going to play, it was going
to be a competitive matchup and now, obviously, we are excited for
that," he said.
In a 6-4 loss Wednesday to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Auston Matthews
was unable to extend his franchise-record goal total for a single
season to 70, despite recording his second-highest shot count in a
game this season with 12.
While Matthews fell short of a milestone that hasn't been achieved
since 1993, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe knows that his star center's
recent level of play shouldn't go unnoticed.
"The way he's played these last two games, give him those types of
chances and those types of shots, and he could have had 75," Keefe
said.
Matthews -- who is the only Leafs player to score 40 goals in five
straight seasons -- quickly turned his focus to the upcoming series.
"The most important thing is the team's success, and making sure
that I'm pulling my weight and doing what I can as a leader to help
the team win as we go into the postseason," Matthews said.
--Field Level Media
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