NHL Eastern Conference playoffs preview: Are Bruins unstoppable?
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak takes a shot at the goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Boston. Credit: AP/Steven Senne
The Eastern Conference boasts the top four teams in the league in terms of points. Yet amid that tough competition, the record-setting Bruins are still the clear-cut favorites.
So it’s an extremely tough bracket and, also, a fun bracket, with the Rangers, Islanders and Devils all qualifying for the first time since 2007.
Why the Bruins are the team to beat: The Bruins set NHL records with 65 victories and 135 points as they finished the season on an eight-game winning streak. Goalie Linus Ullmark is the presumptive Vezina Trophy winner. Patrice Bergeron is still the best two-way center in the NHL, David Pastrnak scored 60 goals, Long Beach’s Charlie McAvoy is one of the NHL’s top defensemen and they are as deep both up front and on the back end as any team in the NHL. They also have the league’s top penalty kill. They lost consecutive games just twice all season and went 34-4-3 at home, so beating them in a seven-game series will be a very tough task.
Why the Hurricanes could pull off an upset: It’s tough to call a division winner with 113 points a candidate to pull off an upset, but such are the high expectations for the Bruins in the playoff tournament. The Hurricanes play with speed and are also able to roll four lines with a deep defensive core. Plus, they are playoff tested, having qualified for the fifth straight season under coach Rod Brind’Amour. Losing Andrei Svechnikov (23 goals, 32 assists) to a knee injury hurt. But goalies Antti Raanta (2.23) and Frederik Andersen (2.48) both finished among the NHL’s top 10 in goals-against average.
Why the Lightning-Maple Leafs first-round series will be one to watch: With the Bruins running away with the Atlantic Division, these two teams have known they would face each other in the first round for about half the season. The Lightning are the three-time conference champions, having won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 before losing to the Avalanche last season. They had an up-and-down season for them but playoff stalwarts Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, defenseman Victor Hedman and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy can’t be overlooked. The offensively-potent Maple Leafs finished second in the Atlantic with 111 points and their core group of Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander is under extreme pressure to produce playoff results. Toronto has not advanced past the first round since 2004 or won a Cup since 1967. If not now, when?
Three stars
David Pastrnak (Bruins): Maybe it’s the comfort of a new mega-contract but “Pasta” took his potent game to another level this season with 61 goals and 52 assists while playing all 82 games.
Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Credit: AP/Chris Seward
Brayden Point (Lightning): The shifty center with the whipsaw wrister compiled 51 goals and 44 assists in 82 games and comes into the playoffs hot with six goals and six assists in his last eight games.
Jack Hughes (Devils): The dynamic 21-year-old gets his first taste of the NHL playoffs after setting the franchise record with 99 points (43 goals, 56 assists).
Goalies with a hot glove
Linus Ullmark (Bruins): He went 40-6-1 and led the NHL with both a 1.89 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.
Ilya Sorokin (Islanders): Sorokin (31-22-7, 2.33 GAA, .924 save percentage) led the NHL with six shutouts and held opponents to two or fewer goals in six of his last eight starts.
Igor Shesterkin (Rangers): The reigning Vezina winner (37-13-8, 2.41 GAA, 916 save percentage) won 12 of his last 16 starts.
Prediction: This is not a time to overthink. The Bruins are a special team. They proved that in the regular season and will prove it again in the playoffs, especially with this possibly being a last go-around for Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, holdovers from the 2011 Cup champions. They’ll get past the game Rangers in the conference final, then upend the Kings in five games to win the Cup.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
