In a clash of historic rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins are set to ignite the ice once again in the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, 8:00pm EST.
This matchup carries with it a rich history of triumph and heart break, the latter applying more to the Leafs. Every shift feels like a chapter in a long-standing saga of unwavering determination and passion. Both teams enter the playoffs fuelled with enough fire to melt the ice, and the unwavering desire to engrave their names into the Stanley Cup once again.
The Bruins and Maple Leafs have a long-storied playoff history. The matchups between the two teams tally up to 16 encounters, with each side clinching victory 8 times. As equally exciting as that may sound, in more recent years the Bruins have overturned the Leafs in their last 6 meetings. The last time the Maple Leafs beat the Bruins in a playoff series was 65 years ago back in 1959. The last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup was 1967, so it’s safe to say Toronto’s cup draught is aligned with their Boston struggles . Whether you are a Leafs or Bruins fan, the rivalry between the two franchises reflects this shared passion for the sport, giving the Bruins an edge over recent years.
In Toronto, success seems to be measured by the Toronto Maple Leafs postseason progression – a conversation you simply can’t avoid this time of year while the regular season quickly becomes meaningless, even to the most diehard fan. So it begs the question if regular season stats actually matter?
In their regular 2023-24 season, the Bruins have shown no mercy to the Maple Leafs, winning all four games, scoring 14 goals, finishing with a .949 SV%. Meanwhile, the Leafs only scored 9 goals, finishing with a .891 SV%.
So, the question is, will this be an opportunity for the Leafs to finally overcome their Boston hurdle, or will the Bruins embody the spirit of tradition and rake the Leafs into another unsuccessful first round exit? Only time will tell.
Written By Brad Eurich & Josh Elijah
