Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Game Preview, Predictions, Odds and Betting Tips for 2024 NHL playoffs Game 1 | April 20th, 2024

The Boston Bruins (47-20-15, second in the Atlantic Division) will be playing host to the Toronto Maple Leafs (46-26-10, third in the Atlantic Division) in the playoff series opener at TD Garden in Boston at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN+, TBS, truTV, MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS, and NESN.

Boston's last outing was a 3-1 home defeat against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, April 16. Toronto, meanwhile, lost 6-4 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on the road on Wednesday, April 17.

The Bruins had a clean sweep in the regular-season series against the Maple Leafs, with a total score of 15-7 in the four games. The last two games ended in 4-1 victories for Boston, including the game on March 7 at TD Garden.

Toronto is entering the postseason on a low note, with a 0-3-1 record in their final four regular-season games, during which they allowed five or more goals in each game.

The two teams have met 16 times in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with their most recent meeting in 2019. In the past 11 years, the Leafs and Boston have faced off four times in the playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Game Preview

The Boston Bruins, with a goals for average (GFA) of 3.21, rank 13th, and with a goals against average (GAA) of 2.70, rank 5th. Their power play efficiency is 22.0%, placing them 14th in the league.

David Pastrnak is the team's top scorer this season, with 47 goals and 63 assists, for a total of 110 points. Brad Marchand has made a significant contribution with 29 goals and 38 assists, totaling 67 points, while Pavel Zacha has scored 21 goals and made 38 assists for 59 points.

Charlie McAvoy added 47 points with 35 assists, and Charlie Coyle added 60 points with 25 goals and 35 assists. Linus Ullmark, the team's goaltender, has a record of 22-10-7, a GAA of 2.57, and a save percentage of .915.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs are ranked second in the league with an average of 3.63 goals per game. They allow an average of 3.15 goals per game, placing them 21st. Their power play efficiency is 23.9%, placing them 7th in the league.

Auston Matthews is the team's leading scorer with 69 goals, 38 assists, and 107 points, along with 369 shots on goal. William Nylander has contributed 98 points with 40 goals and 58 assists, while John Tavares has added 65 points with 29 goals and 36 assists.

Mitch Marner has contributed 85 points with 26 goals and 59 assists. In goal, Ilya Samsonov has a record of 23-7-8, a goals against average of 3.13, and a save percentage of .890.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Injury report

The Maple Leafs and the Bruins are both facing several injury challenges.

On the Maple Leafs' side, Bobby McMann is currently day-to-day due to a lower-body injury. John Klingberg is ruled out for the season because of a hip injury. Matt Murray is down with a hip problem, and Calle Jarnkrok is out with a hand injury, and Jake Muzzin is out due to a back injury.

In the Bruins' camp, Justin Brazeau is out with an upper-body injury, Milan Lucic is unavailable for personal reasons, and Matthew Poitras is nursing a shoulder injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Head-to-head and significant numbers

The Bruins and the Maple Leafs have gone head-to-head 688 times in both the regular season and playoffs. The Maple Leafs have an overall record of 282-295-98-13 against the Bruins.

The Bruins have a 49.5% success rate in faceoffs, while the Maple Leafs, with a win rate of 53.4%, are ranked 4th. The Maple Leafs have a success rate of 76.9% in penalty kills, whereas the Bruins, with a success rate of 82.5%, are ranked 7th.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Odds and prediction

As the odds favorite, the Boston Bruins has won 38 out of 67 games and has a winning record of 36 out of 61 games with odds shorter than -126. This indicates a 55.8% likelihood of Boston winning tonight's game.

In contrast, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been considered the underdogs in 18 games and managed to cause upsets 7 times. When the odds have listed them as underdogs of +106 or longer, Toronto has a record of 5-7, suggesting a 48.5% chance of winning this match.

Prediction: Maple Leafs 5 - 4 Bruins

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Betting tips

Tip 1: Maple Leafs to win

Tip 2: Total goals over 5.5: Yes

Tip 3: Auston Matthews to score first: Yes

Tip 4: Pavel Zacha to assist anytime: Yes

Tip 5: Bruins to beat the spread: Yes