The NHL First Round Playoff Games have arrived as Pickswise will be handing out daily winning NHL picks starting on Thursday. With over a decade of combined winning experience, Pickswise is your number one NHL first round playoff resource to win. To kick off the first round playoff games, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins from the Eastern Conference will go toe to toe. Enjoy these free NHL first round playoff predictions? Give @Pickswise a follow and get a first hand-look on his daily research.
Maple Leafs vs. Bruins First Round Playoff Predictions
Game 1: Maple Leafs vs. Bruins
Line: Bruins -147
Pickswise Expert Picks: Bruins ML / WIN
Along with Tampa Bay, the Toronto Maple Leafs were expected to be the beasts of the Eastern Conference this season. Only the Lightning have lived up to that billing. Toronto still has time to get back on track, but a rough end to the regular season means this team is going on the road to begin its playoff campaign–starting with a first-round series against the Boston Bruins. The Maple Leafs limped down the stretch (1-5 record in their final six contests, 0-3 in their last three) while surrendering 13 goals during the current losing streak.
Toronto’s defense has actually underwhelmed throughout the season, ranking 20th in the league in goals allowed (3.04 per game) and 18th in penalty killing (79.9 percent). Boston is a team that can take advantage of any porous defense. The Bruins are 11th in the NHL in goals per game (3.13) and third in power-play percentage (25.9 percent). They are led–in more ways that one–by forward Brad Marchand. He reached the 100-point mark (36 goals, 64 assists) with five and eight, respectively, over the final seven games. Toronto is 1-5 in its last six against opponents with winning records, 1-5 in its last six against the Eastern Conference, and 1-6 in its last seven trips to Boston. The Bruins are 20-8 in their last 28 overall, 51-20 in their last 71 at home, and 4-1 in the last five meetings between the two teams. Roll with BOSTON.
Game 2: Maple Leafs vs. Bruins
Line: Bruins -145
Pickswise Expert Picks: Bruins ML / WIN
The Boston Bruins will be trying to get back on track when they host Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leads on Saturday. Thursday’s opener saw Toronto pull off a minor 4-1 road upset. The bad news for the Maple Leafs is that calling them inconsistent would be generous. In fact, they are seeking back-to-back wins for the first time since March 2-4. Toronto gave up 13 goals in its last three regular-season games to finish 20th in the NHL in goals allowed (3.04 per game) and 18th in penalty killing (79.9 percent).
Much unlike the Leafs, Boston has endured only two losing streaks since the start of February (one two-gamer and one of three games). Center Patrice Bergeron (79 points in the regular season) has been rod hot of late and he scored his team’s lone goal in Game 1. Toronto is 2-5 in its last seven overall, 2-5 in its last seven against teams with winning records, and 2-6 in its last eight at Boston. The Bruins are 20-9 in their last 29 overall, 51-21 in their last 72 at home, and 4-1 in their last five against the Leafs. It is also worth noting that the home team is 10-4 in the last 14 head-to-head matchups. BOSTON should even things up.
Line: Maple Leafs -115
Pickswise Expert Picks: Bruins ML / WIN
It’s still early in these Stanley Cup playoffs, but the Boston Bruins vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs may be the toughest first-round series to figure out. This one was the lone Eastern Conference opening matchup that was tied 1-1 after two games and neither of the first two in Boston were competitive. The Bruins dropped Game 1 by a 4-1 margin but then prevailed on Saturday via the exact same scoreline. Forward Brad Marchand has three points (one goal, two assists) through two contests. But the outcome of this series may have more to do with the Maple Leafs–which may not be a good thing for them. Toronto has been all over the place in 2018-19 and right now the team is mostly trending in the wrong direction.
In other words, Game 1 was perhaps and aberration as opposed to the rule for a club that ended the regular season on a three-game losing streak. Center Auston Matthews does not have a point through two playoff outings. Boston is 21-9 in its last 30 overall, 5-2 in its last seven on the road, 15-5 in its last 20 following a win, and 5-2 in its last seven against Toronto. The Maple Leafs are 1-4 in its last five overall, 2-5 in their last seven at home, and 1-4 in their last five against teams with winning records. It’s a big Patriots’ Day in Boston on Monday and it could big day for BOSTON in Toronto.
Game 4: Bruins vs. Maple Leafs
Line: Maple Leafs -125
Pickswise Expert Picks: Bruins ML / WIN
Some shocking developments have already taken place in the Eastern Conference playoffs and two series have already come to an end, with Pittsburgh and…wait for it…Tampa Bay getting eliminated. Will we actually get at least one thing we will expect, such as a competitive series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs? That appears to be the case, but Boston needs to pick up a road win on Wednesday to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole. The Bruins at least managed to make Monday’s road game close, losing 3-2 at Toronto.
There is no reason to think they can’t make some inroads at the Rogers Centre, as the Leafs’ home record during the regular season was an unspectacular 23-16-2 (they were slightly better on the road at 23-12-6 on the road). Six different Bruins have already recorded multiple points in these playoffs, including three courtesy of forward Brad Marchand. Goalie Tuukka Rask is sporting a .928 save percentage through two postseason starts. Boston is 21-10 in its last 31 overall, 5-2 in its last seven on the road, and 15-5 in its last 20 playing on one day of rest. The Maple Leafs are 2-5 in their last seven at home, 0-7 in their last seven following a win, and 2-5 in their last seven head-to-head matchups with the Bruins. The pick is for BOSTON to even the series.
Line: Bruins -150
Pickswise Expert Picks: Bruins ML / WIN
At least one Eastern Conference first-round series is delivering the goods (the jury is still out on Washington vs. Carolina). While Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh have already been swept, this set between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs may be going the distance. For now, it is tied 2-2 with a crucial Game 5 to be contested on Friday night in Boston. These two blue-blood franchises have alternated wins through four outings and it is currently the Bruins who have momentum by virtue of Wednesday’s 6-4 road victory. Now they are going back to the Garden, where they compiled the second-best road record during the regular season (29-9-3). Forward David Pastrnak scored twice in Game 4, while forward Brad Marchand contributed three points (one goal, two assists).
Marchand has six points through four postseason contests. Eight other teammates boast multiple points in this series, including five others with three. Maple Leafs centers John Tavares and Patrick Marleau have combined for just one goal so far. Toronto is 2-5 in its last seven on the road and 1-4 in its last five at Boston. The Bruins are 21-9 in their last 30 overall and 5-2 in the last seven head-to-head matchups with the Leafs. It is also worth noting that the home team is 6-2 in the last eight H2H meetings. BOSTON will likely take a lead in this series for the first time.
Game 6: Bruins vs. Maple Leafs
Line: Maple Leafs -120
Pickswise Expert Picks: Maple Leafs ML / WIN
Can the Boston Bruins push this back-and-forth first-round series in the Eastern Conference playoffs to a seventh game? They are on the brink of elimination after losing Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 at home on Friday. Now the proceedings go back to Toronto, where the two Atlantic Division rival split a pair of contests earlier in the series. Thanks in large part to center Auston Matthews, the momentum see-saw has swung back in the Maple Leafs’ favor. Matthews scored what proved to be the game-winning goal on Friday and he has now lit the lamp four times in the past three outings. Goalie Frederik Andersen boasts a .925 save percentage through five postseason starts.
The Bruins need their offense to get back on track, having scored a total of four goals during their three losses to the Leafs. Forward Jake DeBrusk contributed 27 goals and 15 assists in the regular season, but he has gone without a goal while recording just one assist so far this series. Boston is 2-7 in its last nine against the Atlantic Division and 3-8 in its last 11 at Toronto. The Maple Leafs are 8-3 in the last 11 at home against teams with losing road records. Look for TORONTO to punch its ticket to the conference semifinals.
Line: Bruins -140
Pickswise Expert Picks: Bruins ML / WIN
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a chance to close out this series at home when they went up against the Boston Bruins inside the Rogers Centre on Sunday. Instead of celebrating in front of their own crowd and in their own locker room, the Maple Leafs now have have to go on the road for Game 7 on Tuesday night. That is the result after they failed to seal the deal and lost to Boston in Game 6 via a 4-2 decision. Bruins forward Brad Marchand has been a force throughout this first-round showdown and he once again came up big on Sunday, delivering two goals and one assist. Marchand has now lit the lamp four times to go along with five helpers in six playoff appearances.
On the other end of the ice, Boston ranked third in the NHL during the regular season at 2.59 goals allowed per game. Goalie Tukkaa Rask boasts a .921 save percentage in this series. Toronto center Johan Tavares is enduing a five-game goal drought and has recorded only two assists during this stretch. Toronto is 2-5 in its last seven on the road and 3-7 in its last 10 trips to Boston. The Bruins are 23-11 in their last 34 overall, 52-22 in their last 74 at home, and 17-6 in their last 23 playing on one day of rest. Home-ice advantage plus the momentum from Game 6 makes BOSTON the pick.
