Toronto, ON – The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins will be finishing off their first-round playoff matchup tonight, as one team will be headed home while the other is one step closer in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. This series has been back and forth throughout and the Bruins will look to avoid making history by blowing three-to-one series leads in back-to-back seasons, while the Leafs look to win a series against the Bruins for the first time since 1959, and in a game seven, which they haven’t won in quite some time.
- TV: Sportsnet
- Radio: TSN 1050
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
Leafs to Keep an Eye on:
- Auston Matthews will likely be a major topic of discussion up until puck drop as the Leafs have kept his status for tonight up in the air. Matthews has been having a phenomenal season with the Leafs, potting 69 goals in the regular season, but has found himself struggling with an illness or undisclosed injury. If Matthews is to play tonight, he will look to continue being a physical presence whose skill helps tip the ice in the Leafs’ favour.
- While this isn’t a specific player, it’s clear to see that the special teams for the Leafs have struggled in this series. In close games where the difference between winning and losing is only one goal, the special teams become even more important. The Leafs’ penalty kill has been improving and will look to continue to stay focused on what has been working as of late, while the powerplay will look to get looks and ultimately capitalize on those looks. The team will look to enter the offensive zone better on the powerplay and keep possession of the puck once in the offensive zone.
- Ilya Lyubushkin has had decent results this series and has committed to playing a responsible and physical game while keeping the Bruins away from the crease. Lyubushkin has been involved in some of the Leafs’ goals too, so the Russian defender will look to continue playing the way he’s been playing tonight as he looks to help push the Leafs past the Bruins and into the second round.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ITRnathanbondy.
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