Here's the Bruins-Maple Leafs first-round playoff schedule
BOSTON -- The Bruins and the Maple Leafs are once again taking their historic rivalry to the NHL Playoffs. We knew the series would begin Saturday night in Boston, but the NHL released the full series schedule Thursday night following the conclusion of the regular season.
The Bruins and the Leafs don't like each other too much, and Toronto has good reason to despise Boston. The Leafs have lost six straight playoff series to the Bruins going back to 1959, including first-round defeats in 2013, 2018, and 2019.
The Bruins have home ice in the series, with the first two games at TD Garden, along with Games 5 and 7 -- if neccesary. Here's the full Bruins-Leafs schedule for their first-round playoff series:
Game 1: Saturday, April 20 at 8 p.m. @ TD Garden
Game 2: Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m. @ TD Garden
Game 3: Wednesday, April 24 at 7 p.m. @ Scotiabank Arena
Game 4: Saturday, April 27 at 8 p.m. @ Scotiabank Arena
Game 5: Tuesday, April 30 at TBD @ TD Garden*
Game 6: Thursday, May 2 at TBD @ Scotiabank Arena*
Game 7: Saturday, May 4 at TBD @ TD Garden*
*If Necessary
The Bruins won all four of their regular-season matchups with the Leafs this year. They won the first meeting on Nov. 2, 3-2, in a shootout at TD Garden as Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves in net. Linus Ullmark got the start in the next matchup and made 37 saves before Brad Marchand scored the game-winner for a 4-3 overtime victory in Toronto on Dec. 2.
Boston won both matchups in March by a score of 4-1. Pavel Zacha scored a pair of goals to lead the charge on March 4, and then David Pasrtnak and Morgan Geekie each scored power-play goals two nights later in Boston. Swayman started both of those games in net, and stopped 60 of the 62 shots that the Leafs sent his way.
The Bruins have won seven straight games over the Leafs going back to last season.
Toronto does tout one of the NHL's best offenses this year, led by Auston Matthews and his league-leading 69 goals. Right winger William Nylander tallied 98 points (40 goals, 58 assists) during the regular season, and John Tavares (26 goals) and Mitch Marner (26 goals) are always threats to light the lamp as well.
This series will likely be another grind-'em-out battle between the Original Six rivals, and chances are it will end up going seven games like the last three postseason showdowns between the two. The Bruins will be hoping that this latest chapter of the rivalry ends in similar fashion to the three previous matchups.
