Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs Game 4: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First Round
The Boston Bruins will try to get one step away from the next round when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.
Is the season for the Bruins?
The Boston Bruins were the best team in the Eastern Conference for most of the season, but with a low ending to the schedule, they failed to finish in fourth place. That has not been a problem for them, as they are coming off a 5-1 win against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Brad Marchand was the key player for the Bruins in the 4-2 Game 3 win. The Bruins captain scored twice in the last ten minutes of the game to win for Boston. Trent Frederic and Jake DeBrusk also scored for Boston, and Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves.
The Maple Leafs need to step up
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a solid regular season but were not lucky enough to get the Bruins in the opening round. They managed to win 3-2 in Game 2 in Boston, but losing the next one has put them in a difficult situation. Auston Matthews led the league in goals scored in the season but failed to show that in Game 3. Matthew Knies and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Maple Leafs, but they broke down and lost the game in the last ten minutes of the game.
Betting Trends
The Maple Leafs have played over the total goal line in 6 of their last 8 games, in 4 of the last 6 games against teams form the Atlantic Division and 8 of the last 11 games played on Saturday.
Prediction and Conclusion
This will be a gloves-off fight in Toronto, as the Maple Leafs have to tie the series before it moves to Boston. The Bruins proved their class by winning the first game in Toronto, and now it is on the Maple Leafs to respond. Auston Matthews and William Nylander did not play at the level demanded in the previous game, and now it is on them to step up. That will not be easy against the Bruins, but the Maple Leafs will definitely be more efficient. Two of the previous three games of the series went over the total goal line, and this one will most likely also go over 5.5 goals in total.
