B's Are At Another Level Than The Canes Right Now As They Grab A 2-0 Series Lead With 6-2 Win

Look, no team ever wins eight games in the Stanley Cup playoffs by accident or as a complete fluke. With that said, through two games in the Eastern Conference Final, Carolina has appeared completely overmatched in nearly every possible way as Boston blasted them 6-2 this afternoon at TD Garden on Mother's Day. The win gives the Bruins a 2-0 series lead-for the first time this postseason-as they have won five straight playoff games for the first time in six years (the last time they reached the Stanley Cup Finals).

I won't take full credit for this theory/future hot take until it actually happens but it isn't far-fetched to say that Toronto will be the best team that Boston plays in the Eastern Conference this postseason. How bizarre that it took the Bruins seven games to outlast the Leafs then they slowly improved and managed to take out the Blue Jackets in six games and what if they eliminate the Hurricanes in five games or heaven forbid a sweep? These are the type of thoughts that cross your mind when you watch the Black and Gold score 10 straight goals (going back to Game 1) and build a ridiculous 6-0 lead before the Hurricanes mercifully scored a pair of garbage time goals.

They are still six games away from a Stanley Cup but Boston has already tied an impressive mark: 19 different Bruins have scored goals (in only 15 games!) this postseason which both leads all playoff teams and also ties a franchise record from way back in 1988. Think of Game 2 as a systematic beatdown by the B's since they notched a pair of tallies in each frame and saw their top-ranked play go a perfect 2-for-2 while holding Carolina's pathetic power play (#14 in the playoffs) to 0-for-4. Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek seems noticeably rattled (take a number on that team) as he has already allowed 10 goals in this series. I have no idea why the Canes head coach Rod Brind'Amour left him in for the entirety of Game 2, wouldn't you want to see if backup goalie Curtis McElhinney (who won Games 3 & 4 against the Islanders when Mrazek was hurt) could give you a spark?

You could sense that it might be a long day for the Canes right off the bat as the first goal scored by the B's was a soft one: Matt Grzelcyk's shot from the slot somehow sneaked through Mrazek's pads for a 1-0 advantage at 15:22 of the first period. Marcus Johansson and Charlie Coyle had the assists on Grzelcyk's second goal of the playoffs. The next goal was on Carolina's slow to react defense as Jake DeBrusk scored Boston's first power play goal of the contest by outhustling his opponents. Mrazek stopped his first shot but DeBrusk stayed with it and boxed out the highly touted (at least offensively) Jaccob Slavin. David Pastrnak and Torey Krug had the assists on DeBrusk's third goal of the postsesason at 18:32.

Things only got worse for Carolina in the second period as Quinnipiac's Connor Clifton bagged his first NHL goal (regular season or playoffs) at 3:46. Johansson had all day to make a decision with the puck and he caught a break as his intended pass to Clifton bounced off a Hurricane skate which allowed Clifton to shovel the puck into the net with Mrazek out of position. Danton Heinen had the other helper on Clifton's memorable tally (in terms of his young career). Grzelcyk showed off his stickhandling skills on the way to his first career two-goal performance by finishing a backhander from his BU homie Charlie Coyle and Krug at 17:56.

It was a laugher before Boston scored its two final goals early in the third period: David Backes poked in a loose puck at 1:10 (his 2nd goal of the postseason was assisted by David Krejci and Krug) then Danton Heinen beat Mrazek with a backhander (his 2nd goal of the playoffs) of his own at 4:32 after a sweet feed from Patrice Bergeron and Coyle. If you care (which you probably don't), Carolina's goals were a tip-in by Justin Williams and basically an empty-netter by Teuvo Teravainen following a brutal turnover by Tuukka Rask (21 saves).

Former Bruin Dougie Hamilton continues to look overmatched to a crazy degree and the fans in the Garden are more than happy to let him know about it with some "Dougie, Dougie" chants whenever they get a chance. This is where I'm supposed to caution everybody that Carolina trailed Washington 0-2 in the first round of this postseason before winning Game 3 and eventually the series in seven games. With that said, Game 3 on Tuesday (8, NBCSN) in Raleigh is a must-win for the Canes or else they are done.

As you can imagine, the numbers are on Boston's side in this situation as well: they are 20-11 all-time in Game 3s when leading a series 2-0 while the Hurricanes are 3-4 in Game 3s when trailing a series 0-2; furthermore, Boston is 24-7 all-time in best-of-7 series when they lead 2-0 and Carolina is 2-5 all-time in best-of-seven series when they trail 0-2. Even if those mean nothing to you, just watch the games (or the highlights) and objectively tell me who looks like the more confident team that is firing on all cylinders and which one looks like they have run out of gas? I rest my case.

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Boston Scores Four Unanswered Goals In The Third To Take Game 1 of ECF, 5-2 vs. Carolina

There are only four teams left in the NHL playoffs and like it or not, your Bruins are unquestionably the team to beat (sorry Sharks) for the Stanley Cup. Boston began the Eastern Conference Final tonight at TD Garden with a spirited 5-2 victory against the upstart Hurricanes who truth be told nobody thought would be here entering the postseason. It wasn't nearly as easy for the B's as the final score would indicate, they actually trailed 2-1 entering the third period which made them reverse their 0-3 record when trailing heading into the third in the playoffs while the Canes were 3-0 when leading after two.

Emerging star defenseman Charlie McAvoy was suspended for Game 1 due to his hit on Columbus' Josh Anderson in Game 6 of that series so Steven Kampfer came into the lineup after only playing one game this entire postseason (Game 3 vs. Toronto). That also meant that rookie Connor Clifton slid up to the top defensive pairing with Zdeno Chara. Hockey has a funny way of finding unlikely heroes and wouldn't you know that Kampfer potted the first goal of the contest at 2:55 of the first period. Marcus Johansson started the play by taking the puck from Justin Faulk in Boston's defensive zone then holding onto it for a second in Carolina's defensive zone before he slid a backhand pass to Kampfer. The journeyman defenseman beat Petr Mrazek (23 saves) with a low and hard shot for his second career playoff goal.

Carolina had swept the Islanders in the second round so they had a few extra days off but that didn't appear to make them rusty. Sebastian Aho tied it just 47 seconds later after he tipped in a pass from rookie Andrei Svechnikov (aka the poor guy that Ovi knocked out in the 1st round) for his fifth goal of the playoffs. Jordan Staal had the second assist on Aho's ninth career goal in 10 games against the Bruins. The Hurricanes outshot the Bruins 10-8 in the first but the underdogs from the Dirty South began to dominate in the second. Their lone lead of Game 1 came on a tight call: fourth line center Greg McKegg (haha great name, he must love the suds) drove the net like you read about and ran into Tuukka Rask (29 saves) which caused the net to come off its moorings. The good news for Carolina and its five fans that were at the Garden, the puck actually crossed the goal line before McKegg made contact with Rask. McKegg's second goal of the playoffs was assisted by Jordan Martinook and Michael Ferland, his fellow fourth-liners.

Dressing room speeches between periods are overrated but whatever was said by Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy and his players before the third period couldn't have been more effective. Boston's top-ranked power play flexed its muscles with a pair of goals 28 seconds apart early in the frame: Marcus Johansson cleaned up a loose puck at 2:26 then Patrice Bergeron finished a pretty passing sequence from Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. Johansson's third goal of the postseason was assisted by Marchand and David Krejci while Bergeron's goal was his sixth (tying David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle for the team lead). Goals in spurts was a theme all night as Boston shut the door on Carolina with an empty-netter then breakaway 11 seconds after that. Coyle was credited with the empty-netter at 17:47 after Brandon Carlo's clearing attempt deflected in off his body then Chris Wagner picked up his first playoff goal and point as a Bruin with a sweet move on Mrazek.

Boston improved to 53-49 all-time in Game 1s of best-of-seven series while Carolina dropped to 10-13 all-time in Game 1s. The Bruins' win streak was extended to four games while they simultaneously ended the Hurricanes' win streak at six games. Here's a crazy stat: the Canes allowed as many goals tonight as they gave up in all four games combined vs. the Islanders. Looking forward to Game 2 on Sunday afternoon (3, NBC), the Bruins are 32-19 in Game 2s when they lead a series 1-0 while the Hurricanes are 5-6 in Game 2s when trailing a series 0-1. Finally, Boston is 36-16 all-time in best-of-seven series when they lead a series 1-0 and Carolina is 5-6 all-time in best-of-seven series when they trail 0-1. It's all about momentum in the playoffs and the B's split the first two home games vs. Toronto and then Columbus so going up 2-0 on Carolina would be a dream that would put a smile on your mom's face (don't forget that Sunday is Mother's Day you dopes!).

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The Bruins Push The Blue Jackets To The Brink Of Elimination With An Insane 4-3 Victory In Game 5

You could watch a lifetime of hockey and you might never see a more crazy third period in a playoff game than the one that took place tonight at TD Garden. Heading into the frame up 1-0, the Bruins later led 2-0 and 3-1 before the Blue Jackets scored twice to tie it up, setting the stage for David Pastrnak's incredibly clutch tally with 1:28 left in regulation. From there, Boston held on for the extremely important 4-3 win in Game 5 that gives them a 3-2 series advantage. Game 6 is at Nationwide Arena on Monday (7, NBC Sports) as the B's will get a chance to knock out the Jackets once and for all.

Believe it or not (given the final score), the story for much of this contest was the continued dominance of Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (33 saves). After playing one of the best games of his NHL playoff career on Thursday (a 4-1 victory at Columbus), he appeared poised to somehow top that with a shutout. In the span of 3:35, Columbus managed to score three goals to erase that two-goal deficit. In the long, storied history of the Black and Gold, this was only the second time ever that they had blown a multi-goal third period lead then recovered to still win it in regulation (1989, division semifinal at Buffalo).

Boston's first forward line (Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand) had been the best in the NHL not only this season but the last few which made their struggles earlier in the series vs. Columbus so puzzling. Were Pastrnak and Bergeron hurt or just in a major offensive drought at the worst possible time? They have certainly answered their critics with the back-to-back crucial wins that they starred in. Marchand (goal, 2 assists) and Pastrnak (2 goals) each had their best games of the postseason and Rask once again outplayed Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (32 saves) who is still making some of the best stops that you'll ever see.

Interestingly enough with the top two power plays left in the postseason (Columbus is #1 & Boston is #2), all seven of the goals came via 5-on-5 action. After a scoreless first period, David Krejci opened the scoring at 1:39 of the second. Who cares if he almost whiffed on the shot which actually helped it fool Bobrovsky? Jake DeBrusk and David Backes had the assists on Krejci's third goal of the playoffs (his 35th career playoff goal that moved him into 7th place on the club's all-time list). Boston doubled its lead at 4:51 of the third period on a Marchand goal and at that point with the way that Rask was completely shutting down the Jackets, you thought that would be more than enough. Bobrovsky robbed Marchand with a spectacular glove save but Brad stuck with it and beat the brilliant goalie with a snipe in basically the same spot. His fifth goal of the postseason was assisted by Quinnipiac's Connor Clifton (his 1st career playoff point!) and Bergeron.

Columbus' ill-fated comeback attempt fittingly started with another shady goal (at least it wasn't the boneheaded no call from Game 4 when the puck clearly went into the netting over the rink before the Blue Jackets scored on the same play). Seth Jones' shot deflected off Matt Grzelcyk's stick and Rask was hugging the near post but he wasn't able to keep it out of the net, apparently. It was called no goal on the ice then after a very lengthy review (and to the dismay of the Garden crowd), it was overturned for Jones' third goal of the playoffs. Zach Werenski and BC's Cam Atkinson had the assists on the goal by Jones who once again nearly played half of the game (he skated a game-high 29:49). 43 seconds later, Pasta ripped a laser by Bobrovsky who barely moved. Marchand had the lone assist but Pasta did most of the work on their 2-on-1; his fifth goal of the postseason was an understandably emotional moment for him after he'd been bashed for the last few weeks by local media and fans alike.

It's a real credit to the Blue Jackets that they still wouldn't die after that (when most other clubs would have) as Ryan Dzingel cut it to 3-2 with a top-shelf shot 51 seconds later. Matt Duchene and David Savard had the helpers on Dzingel's first point of the postseason. Even more unlikely than that, something named Dean Kukan (haha who the hell is that?) tied it up at 13:58 with a blast that went off of Brandon Carlo's skate. It was the first goal-regular season or playoffs-of Kukan's NHL career. Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson notched the assists on Kukan's tying goal which proved as always that if you give almost any NHL player that much time and space, they can hurt you in a major way. Assuming that you weren't dead already, the B's saved us further heart problems (for now!) since they bypassed (get it?) overtime for the excruciating third straight contest at home.

The Bruins left it to be decided late but doesn't the additional drama make it that much sweeter? Carlo started the winning sequence by stripping the puck from Panarin then Marchand threw it towards the Columbus net where Pastrnak was situated and he re-directed it enough to elude Bobrovsky to the far side. Needless to say, I think that Pasta's first career game-winning goal in the playoffs will be one that he'll never forget.

Boston now has a little bit of a cushion (2 chances to get 1 win) as they enter Game 6. Keep in mind that Carolina is relaxing and waiting for the winner of this series in the Eastern Conference Finals after they finished their sweep of the Islanders last night. Unlike the Leafs series, the Bruins have learned to give themselves some breathing room but make no mistake, they need to do everything in their power to eliminate Columbus as soon as possible. You don't want to see them and especially Bobrovsky in a Game 7 situation.

Some numbers to keep in mind for Monday: the Bruins are 10-16 all-time in Game 6s when they lead a best-of-seven series 3-2 while the Blue Jackets are 0-2 in Game 6s when they trailing a series 2-3. Also, Boston is 21-5 all-time in best-of-seven series when they lead in a series 3-2 and Columbus is 0-2 when they trail in a series 2-3. The B's have won their last two games and what better time to make it three in a row and reach their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2013 (vs. Tampa Bay) than Monday in Columbus?

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Counting On Surviving Overtime(s) In The NHL Playoffs Is No Way To Live For Very Long

With two teams that appear to be such mirror images of each other, both in terms of playing style and overall talent, it's no surprise that Boston and Columbus have required overtime to decide the first two games of their first-ever playoff meeting-in the 2nd round of the 2019 postseason. Tonight at TD Garden, the Blue Jackets took advantage of a critical mistake (tripping on Patrice Bergeron) as Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal in double overtime for a 3-2 Columbus victory and a series that is now tied at one game apiece.

Obviously the longer a game goes on, the tougher it is to swallow a crushing loss such as this but it only feels right that after Boston took Game 1 3-2 in overtime, Columbus returned the favor with an even later game-winning goal. As you can predict with so few goals, the best players for both teams were the goaltenders: Tuukka Rask was the hard-luck loser as he made 38 saves while Sergei Bobrovsky was no slouch with 28 of his own. Of course, Artemi Panarin (2 goals, assist) was also unstoppable for the Blue Jackets as he extended his point-streak to a franchise-record six games (4 goals, 5 assists).

For the second game in a row, the Bruins scored first which is often a harbinger of good things to come in any playoff contest. Their power play produced a tally as Matt Grzelcyk bagged his first career NHL playoff goal by blasting a shot through traffic at 7:50 of the first period. His BU buddy Charlie McAvoy along with David Krejci had the assists on the memorable goal for the pride of Charlestown, MA. Panarin answered early in the second period with a power play goal of his own: he unloaded on a one-timer from Seth Jones (who played a game-high 38:01!) and BC's Cam Atkinson. Panarin's third goal of the postseason came at 1:03.

The B's quickly responded to take a 2-1 lead as Charlie Coyle threw the puck in front from behind the net and it just so happened to deflect in off of David Pastrnak's skate. Maybe that'll get Pasta going again since he's looked like a shell (no pun intended, it's late!) of himself for almost all of the Toronto series and now definitely against Columbus. Pastrnak's third goal of the playoffs was also assisted by Marcus Johansson at 2:01. The Bread Man aka Panarin showed off some more of his superb skill set with another tying goal. Stationed below the faceoff dot in Boston's defensive zone, he beat Rask up high with an absolute snipe when it was 4-on-4. Jones had the lone assist on the stunning shot at 8:01 of the second period.

Since the first line hasn't looked like themselves in a bit, Boston was sloppy in the second period (outshot 10-7) but they found their legs in the third period (outshooting Columbus 8-7) yet they weren't able to end it in regulation. The B's managed to survive a high-sticking penalty on McAvoy in the first overtime and either Bergeron (who was robbed multiple times by Bobrovsky) or Coyle (who hit the post from the doorstep) should have won it right then and there. The lazy penalty by Bergy early in the second overtime was surprising but the fact that the Bruins lost because of that certainly was not. With so many tired guys, you can't expect to get away with that type of mental error. Duchene made a great play on the goal too as he kicked the rebound from his right skate to his stick (lefty) before burying the puck at 3:42. Panarin and Atkinson had the assists on what was probably the biggest goal of Duchene's career-remember that he was traded to Columbus from Ottawa earlier this season.

We at least know that there will be another game at the Garden in this round/postseason (Game 5 on Saturday night at 7:15 on NBC). Before then, Boston is off tomorrow followed by practice on Monday and travelling to Ohio. The fatigue from a seven-game series with the Leafs and then two overtime tilts right out of the chute vs. the Blue Jackets has probably taken a physical toll on the Bruins. They have been playing pressure packed games every other day for a few weeks so getting away from it all for a second should help them immensely. Game 3 is Tuesday (7, NBC Sports) and Game 4 is on Thursday (7:30, NBC Sports) at Nationwide Arena. Two more overtime games is unlikely but there is clearly very little separating these clubs so a pair of one-goal (or maybe two goals with an empty-netter) games seems like a reasonable expectation.

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Charlie Coyle Saves the B's With the Tying & OT Goal in a 3-2 Win vs. Blue Jackets In Game 1

Ahead of tonight's Game 1 of the second round between the Bruins and Blue Jackets, you couldn't help but wonder which was more important: rest (Columbus had last played nine days ago when they completed their historic sweep vs. Tampa Bay) or momentum (Boston closed out their grueling seven-game series vs. Toronto only two days ago)? Ultimately, the B's found a way to come out on top as Weymouth native and former BU star Charlie Coyle tied it late in the third period then scored the game-winning goal in overtime as Boston topped Columbus 3-2 at TD Garden to take a 1-0 series lead.

Other than a bounty of tallies, this contest had a little bit of everything: great goaltending, physicality, world-class goals, drama and a memorable comeback. Are you not entertained, haha what more could you ask for as a neutral hockey fan let alone as a Bruin honk? For much of the night, it looked like Noel Acciari's shorthanded goal midway through the first period (the 1st shorthanded goal of his NHL playoff career) would be the only goal of Game 1. Charlie McAvoy started the sequence by knocking the puck away from a Blue Jacket where Acciari was able to recover it and skate it down the ice before uncorking a beautiful low, hard shot past Sergei Bobrovsky (34 saves) at 10:34. It was the former Providence College star's first goal of this postseason and McAvoy's (former BU star, what up Hockey East?) third assist of the playoffs.

Boston actually should have been up by more than a goal after the first period since they blitzed a noticeably rusty Columbus, outshooting them 14-4. As you would expect, the Blue Jackets started to percolate in the second period as they outshot the B's 10-6 but they couldn't find the back of the net. Brad Marchand hit the crossbar early in the frame but surprisingly, the top two power play units in the league both went 0-for-4 on the evening.

Columbus tied it at one at 7:39 of the third period as Brandon Dubinsky was able to deflect in Seth Jones' shot which originally went off the stick blade of former Bruins great Riley Nash. It was the former Rangers forward's first goal and point of the postseason. Before Boston had a chance to take a breath, they trailed 2-1 as Pierre-Luc Dubois tipped in a shot by Artemi Panarin just 13 seconds later. Dubois' second goal of the playoffs also featured another helper by Jones. The Bruins had a little more than half a period to find a tying goal of their own and that's what they did thanks to Coyle. Marcus Johansson had a beautiful backhand sauce pass that Coyle was able to crank so hard on a one-timer that it bounced in and out of the net in rapid speed. Torey Krug had the second assist on Coyle's fourth goal of the postseason and at that point, probably the biggest goal of his life.

Strangely enough, neither team had played an overtime game in the first round so it seemed like the perfect way to kick off the second round of the NHL playoffs (this was the 1st game of the 2nd round). It didn't take the Black and Gold long to end it as they outshot the Blue Jackets 4-1 and once again the Coyle-Johansson emerging connection was money. This time (at 5:15), Johansson threw the puck to the side of the net where Coyle was perfectly stationed and able to redirect it in for the unforgettable goal. I can't imagine what it feels like to be a local guy and do something like that for the team that you grew up cheering for. Talk about a goosebumps inducing moment.

You'll remember that Boston never officially led in the first-round series vs. Toronto as they trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 before winning the final two meetings in epic fashion. Game 2 of this series is on Saturday night (8, NBC) and you better believe that the Bruins would love to put more pressure on the Blue Jackets who had never won a playoff series before a few weeks ago and never trailed against the chokeartist Lightning. Tuukka Rask (20 saves) wasn't nearly as busy as Bobrovsky but he made some quality stops and his solid play from the last few games vs. the Leafs appeared to carry over.

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For the 2nd Year In a Row (3rd Time in 7 Years), the Bruins Win Another Game 7 Against the Leafs

One of the million great aspects of sports is at some point, almost every epic drought ends: after all, the Red Sox and Cubs won the World Series so at some point, the Maple Leafs will win another Stanley Cup. Thankfully for the Bruins and their fans, that won't happen on their watch at least for another year as Boston beat Toronto 5-1 tonight in Game 7 at TD Garden to take the first-round series 4-3. Would you believe that the Leafs haven't won the Cup in 52+ years now? Hell, they haven't even won a series in 15+ years. What makes that hilarious is the fact that the B's continue to torment them the most, having also beaten them at the Garden in epic Game 7s in 2013 and 2018 as well. Oh and Canada hasn't won a Cup since Montreal in 1993 which is utterly insane.

Boston finally became the first club in this back-and-forth series to win consecutive games and while it took them long enough, they got the job done when most had counted them out and their collective backs were all against the wall (double cliche alert!). The Bruins' overall depth was on full display this evening as five different guys scored goals for them and goaltender Tuukka Rask (32 saves) was the best player on the ice in his top performance of the series. Now they have home ice for the rest of the Eastern Conference playoffs and they begin their second round series vs. Columbus on Thursday (7, NBC Sports) back at the Garden.

Everybody knows how important it is to score first in Game 7s and the Bruins doubled down with a pair of goals late in the first period to take firm control of the contest. First, Joakim Nordstrom somehow squeezed a shot past Frederik Andersen (27 saves) from no angle at 14:29 for his second goal of the series. Matt Grzelcyk and Sean Kuraly had the assists on the opening tally. It's a credit to B's head coach Bruce Cassidy for putting Nordstrom back in the lineup after sitting him in Game 5. Toronto's defenseman Jake Gardiner deserved credit for Marcus Johansson's first playoff goal as a Bruin since his pass behind the Leafs net went right to him and he skated around the cage before whipping a low snipe on Andersen at 17:46 of the first period.

The Maple Leafs dominated the second period, outshooting Boston 13-8 and cutting it to 2-1 on John Tavares' big-time goal at 3:54. Mr. Toronto's only previous goal in the series was an empty-netter way back in Game 1. Tyler Ennis had the lone assist on the wide open shot that Rask had no chance to stop as it went over his leg pad and past his blocker. Boston killed a cross checking penalty by Brandon Carlo in the second and it still felt like a victory when the frame ended with them on top.

Luckily, there was no overtime needed in Game 7 (or any other game in this series) as Boston closed with a strong third period. Kuraly scored a huge insurance tally at 2:40 as he ripped a shot past Andersen at 2:40, his first goal of the series was assisted by linemates Noel Acciari and Nordstrom. The B's survived a too many men penalty (do they always have to get those in Game 7s?) and a pair of empty-netters by Charlie Coyle and Patrice Bergeron made sure that the stress would quickly drift away for nervous Bruins fans.

This is the second year in a row that Boston has advanced to the second round and seventh time in the last nine postseasons. It will be the first ever playoff meeting vs. Columbus who they went 2-1 against in the regular season (which obviously means nothing). However, with Tampa Bay out (thanks to the Blue Jackets) along with the Penguins (and possibly Capitals if they lose Game 7 tomorrow vs. Carolina), the road to another Stanley Cup Final for the B's couldn't be more favorable. The other Eastern Conference semifinal is Islanders vs. Capitals/Hurricanes with Washington for sure being the biggest obstacle for the Black and Gold. This doesn't even take into account the powerhouse Western Conference teams (Calgary and Winnipeg) that have already been knocked out too. Needless to say, the NHL playoffs this season have been even more bananas than usual.

Boston improved to 15-12 all-time in Game 7s and they are now 4-1 all-time vs. Toronto in Game 7s. The Maple Leafs fell to 12-12 in Game 7s and this was another painful chapter in their constantly updating encyclopedia on choke jobs since they blew a 3-2 series lead and lost at home before getting eliminated tonight. Their players, coaches and fans must be wondering what it will take to get past from Boston let alone just win a single series and end this stupid curse once and for all.

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In Recent Years, Nothing Has Ever Come Easy For the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Has It?

Good luck trying to predict anything that will happen in this series, other than the fact that neither team has won two games in a row at least thus far. Coming off a crucial 6-4 road win in Toronto on Wednesday that evened the series at two games apiece, the Bruins once again mostly failed to show up (eerily similar to Game 1) on their home ice and consequently lost 2-1 to the Maple Leafs. Toronto now leads the first-round playoff series 3-2 and they have a chance to eliminate the B's on Easter Sunday afternoon (3, NBC) at Scotiabank Arena.

For most of Game 5, it felt like both clubs were scared to make a mistake but Boston got the first three power plays (1 in the first period and 2 in the second period) but weren't able to take advantage of any of them. It was scoreless through two periods and up until then, the best chance came late in the second for David Krejci who did everything right but saw his shot hit the corner of the post/crossbar and bounce away from the net. As you would expect, both goaltenders were sharp from start to finish. Tuukka Rask (25 saves) deserved a better fate but as he's been for most of this series, Frederik Andersen (28 saves) was just a little bit better.

Auston Matthews looked overmatched in this matchup last postseason but this time around, one of the NHL's bright young stars has started to play like it. He hammered in a one-timer from Jake Muzzin and Kasperi Kapanen at 11:33 of the third period. That was Matthews' fourth goal of the series and it extended his point-streak to three games (4 goals, 1 assist). Toronto left winger Zach Hyman bumped Rask before the shot happened so Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy understandably challenged it for goalie interference. After a long review, the NHL replay officials (ironically enough in Toronto) ruled that there wasn't "enough conclusive evidence to overturn it." That stung but not as much as the insurance tally by Kapanen 2:12 after that. It was the end product of a beautiful rush by Toronto with Andreas Johnsson (3-game point streak) and Morgan Rielly (3-game point streak) assisting on Kapanen's first goal of the series.

Boston finally found the back of the net but it was too late as David Krejci one-timed in a pass from David Pastrnak and Torey Krug with 43.4 seconds left in regulation. Krejci's second goal of the series came with Rask off for an extra skater. This being Toronto, they nearly pissed it away in epic fashion when Brad Marchand had a buzzer-beating shot but this is a new year and team so Andersen blocked it away as time expired.

For me, the most surprising aspect of this series so far is how great the Bruins were for most of the regular season at the Garden and you could very well argue that Game 1 and tonight were two of their worst performances all year in front of their home crowd (many of whom left when it was 2-0). As you would expect, the numbers for the B's heading into the must-win Game 6 are not pretty: they are 10-13 all-time in Game 6s when they trail a series 2-3 and 3-20 all-time in best-of-seven series when they trail 2-3 (last series win in that situation was the 2011 Stanley Cup Final vs. Vancouver). Conversely, the Leafs are 19-5 all-time in best-of-seven series when they lead 3-2.

Will Toronto become the first one to win two straight contests or can Boston force another Game 7? The Celtics will be going for the sweep vs. the Pacers (1, ABC) as well on Sunday but let's be serious, Bruins-Leafs Game 6 is the real main course. If you celebrate it, I hope that the Easter bunny brings you whatever helps to calm your nerves in tense situations like this (candy, booze, drugs, etc.). As usual in the NHL playoffs, home ice hasn't meant much especially for these two Original Six clubs who are so close in terms of talent and performance-levels. It doesn't matter how, the B's just have to find a way to steal Game 6 in Toronto and bring it back here for another Game 7 which would be on Tuesday.

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In Game 2, the Bruins Reverse Things On the Leafs and Even the Series With a Dominant 4-1 Victory

Even by its crazy standards, the first few days of the 2019 NHL playoffs have been absolutely bonkers. Who had the Lightning, Jets and Penguins all down 2-0 after the first two games of their series? For that reason, tonight was at least somewhat reassuring for Bruins fans as the team that looked nothing like themselves in Thursday's lifeless 4-1 Game 1 loss returned to TD Garden tonight and pummeled the Maple Leafs by the same exact score. Now the series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Monday (7, NESN) and Game 4 on Wednesday (7, NESN). We are guaranteed at least one more playoff game at the Garden-Friday (7, NESN).

The momentum swings within periods in a playoff contest are typically wild so it was nice to see Boston once again score first this evening but increase that to 3-0 midway through the second before Toronto avoided the shutout with a goal in the third by chief agitator Nazem Kadri (more on that bozo later). David Backes was inserted into the Game 2 lineup after being a healthy scratch for Game 1 and surprisingly Marcus Johansson was a last-second subtraction due to an unknown injury. Besides his predictable game-high seven hits, Backes made his presence felt immediately as he stole the puck behind Frederik Andersen's net (37 saves) and fed Charlie Coyle for his first playoff goal (8th career playoff goal in the NHL) as a Bruin at 4:44 of the first period. What a moment for the hometown guy (Coyle) who grew up in Weymouth and went to BU before being acquired earlier this season in a trade from Minnesota.

Boston doubled its lead with a beautiful goal from some of their most skilled guys: Brad Marchand beat Andersen five-hole at 16:04 of the first period after David Pastrnak spun around and found him with a sick backhand pass after spinning around a Toronto defenseman. Marchand's first goal of this postseason was also the 22nd of his career with Torey Krug picking up the second helper. You knew that was officially Boston's night and not bumbling Toronto's when William Nylander gifted Danton Heinen what had to be the easiest (not counting empty-netters) goal of his professional career. Nylander coughed up the puck right next to Andersen and all Heinen had to do was poke it in at 10:39 of the second period for the 3-0 Bruins advantage. His first goal of the postseason and second of his career was unassisted.

The only negatives for the B's in Game 2 were worrisome injuries to Krug (possible concussion after he got rocked by Jake Muzzin) and Connor Clifton (undisclosed). This forced Boston to play with only four defensemen for part of the third period. After the game, head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't offer many specifics on those guys but he admitted that Steven Kampfer and possibly John Moore (if he's healthy enough to play) could be ready to jump into action for Game 3. Otherwise, they could be forced to call up somebody from Providence.

As usual, Kadri was in the middle of everything (both good and bad) for Toronto. He took a big hit from DeBrusk late in the second period then he basically jumped DeBrusk in the third after Jake had blasted Patrick Marleau with a clean hit. DeBrusk was banged up to begin with so his health will be another question mark for Monday. Given Kadri's recent history of stupidity (he was suspended last year in the playoff series vs. Boston for a game), he's already been offered an in-person hearing from the NHL Department of Player Safety at a date and time TBD. Like Marchand (who at least has cleaned up some of that grime from his game), Kadri is a valuable player not just a goon. It figured that he deftly deflected in Travis Dermott's shot from the point at 10:44 of the third period. Kadri's first goal of the postseason was also the third of his playoff career with Nylander picking up the second assist.

Any thoughts of a Toronto comeback were put to bed with a power play goal by Patrice Bergeron (2nd game in a row that he's done that) at 15:03. He has such an innate sense for putting in loose pucks around the net with Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk assisting on the 33rd playoff goal of his storied career. A Kadri suspension would have a major effect on Toronto which isn't super deep to begin with after its top two forward lines not to mention Austin Matthews' continued invisibility. Tuukka Rask (30 saves) had a really solid night for Boston, another good sign moving forward. The crowd at Scotiabank Place will be very loud for Games 3 and 4 but that shouldn't be a major issue for an experienced club like the Bruins. Taking a 2-1 series lead would also flip the pressure onto Toronto after their surprising Game 1 triumph. Regardless, I think I know what you'll be watching on Monday night.

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The Bruins Score 1st Then It All Goes Downhill From There As The Maple Leafs Take Game 1, 4-1

At this point, the incredible droughts for the Maple Leafs are well-known around the hockey world: they last won the Stanley Cup in 1967 and they haven't even come out on top in a single playoff series since 2004. For a team that is the second-most valuable in the NHL according to the recent list published by Forbes Magazine and gets exhausting coverage by the Canadian media, these things have to end at some point, right?

This is the third time since 2013 that the Leafs and Bruins have met in the playoffs (also last year) with Boston taking both of them in seven epic games. In Game 1 tonight at TD Garden, the Maple Leafs executed their gameplan to perfection as they came away with an easier-than-expected 4-1 victory. Mitch Marner continued his mastery of the B's (and added more dollar signs to his next contract this summer) with a pair of goals while Frederik Andersen (37 saves) had one of the best playoff performances in his NHL career. Boston actually got the first goal which is usually a huge key in the postseason: Patrice Bergeron finished a pretty cross-ice feed from his BFF Brad Marchand for a 1-0 lead at 9:31 of the first period. It was the 32nd career playoff goal for Bergeron and his 86th postseason point; Marchand reached 40 career playoff assists and 61 postseason points while Torey Krug (20th career assist and 29th postseason points) had the other helper.

Toronto tied it up at one later in the first period as Jake Muzzin's shot hit the post and then Marner was there to put in the rebound at 16:44. He was the best player against Boston in last season's playoff series and Marner continued to bolster his credentials as a legit Bruins killer (9 goals, 20 assists in 20 career games vs. Boston). The B's went 3-1 vs. the Leafs in the regular season which means nothing and for what it's worth, this was the first time that Muzzin faced them since he was traded to Toronto from Los Angeles this winter. That was Muzzin's 14th career playoff assist and John Tavares had the other assist (his 1st playoff point as a Leaf). You might remember him as the guy that supposedly spurned the Bruins in free agency last summer for his hometown Leafs.

With another power play early in the second period, the B's looked poised to regain the lead but instead about the worst possible (and extremely unlikely) event happened: the puck hopped over Jake DeBrusk's stick at the blue line of Boston's offensive zone which allowed Marner to zoom ahead on a breakaway. DeBrusk isn't yet known for his Bergeron defensive forward skills so all he could do to prevent a goal was to take Marner down before Jake went crashing back first into the boards, ouch. There wasn't much that Tuukka Rask (29 saves) could do on the ensuing penalty shot as Marner froze him with a slick move then wheeled the forehand shot around him. It was only the second successful penalty shot in Leafs playoff history and the sixth ever allowed by the Bruins (only 2 of which ended in goals). That punch in the gut was followed by a kick to the nuts later in the frame by Toronto was William Nylander took a long stretch pass from Nazem Kadri (7th career playoff assist) and beat Rask five-hole for a 3-1 Leafs advantage at 18:25. What do you want Rask to do when his teammates allowed roughly 100 breakaways in that period? Old man Patrick Marleau (playing in his 185th career playoff game) had his 54th career playoff assist on young Nylander's backbreaking tally.

Boston outshot Toronto 21-14 in the second period yet they were outscored 2-0 then, yuck. The Bruins could never make it interesting in the third (by cutting the deficit to 1 goal and putting some pressure on the Leafs). The closest they came to another goal was Joakim Nordstrom missing the net by mere inches on a rebound in the crease that Andersen had lost track of. Fittingly on that last slice of turd pizza, Tavares put it away with an empty-netter at 18:41. Gross. Game 2 is Saturday night (8, NESN) at the Garden and all the Bruins can do is flush this disappointing Game 1 down the toilet.

If you are into scary numbers, check these out: Boston is 14-34 all-time in best-of-seven series when they trail a series 0-1 while Toronto is 19-13 all-time in best-of-seven series when they lead a series 1-0. Finally, Boston is 20-28 in Game 2s when trailing in a series 0-1. Home ice doesn't mean all that much in the NHL playoffs (this ain't the NBA my friends) but needless to say, Game 2 is nearly a must-win for the Bruins. There is no way they want to go to Toronto down 0-2 in the series. The biggest adjustment that they have to make for a different outcome on Saturday is to not allow so many breakaways and odd-man rushes by the Leafs. That's easier said than done since Toronto has so much team speed, still it's no time to panic yet for the home team. Did anybody think that this series would be that easy (and yes I realize that everyone and their mother picked the Bruins to win it)?

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