Now it's time for Bruins to show what they learned from last year
Almost a year ago to the day, the Bruins were returning home from Florida with a 3-1 series lead and a chance to finish off the Panthers in Game 5. After a wakeup call in Game 2, they took care of business in Games 3 and 4, outscoring the Panthers 10-4 in those two games. They had pushed their opponent not just to the brink of elimination, but seemingly to the brink of insanity, with Matthew Tkachuk losing his cool and trying to fight Linus Ullmark late in Game 4.
Sound familiar? The Bruins are in that position once again, with their first-round series against the Maple Leafs playing out in similar fashion through four games. After winning Game 1, they dropped Game 2 on home ice. But then they went to Toronto and won two games on the road, seemingly seizing control of the series in the process. They have Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe whining about Brad Marchand and Toronto's top players yelling at each other on the bench.
Every instinct would tell you that the Leafs are cooked and the Bruins will be moving on to Round 2 in short order. Except last year happened, and it cannot be ignored. The Bruins learned the hard way that ending a team's season is not easy, no matter how well things go in the first four games.
The Bruins believe that experience, as painful as it was, will better prepare them to finish the job this year.
"I think what we can learn is the urgency it takes to finish off a series," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Sunday. "It's so hard to end a team's season, and we know that. I think everyone that was part of it last year is better off for it."
A lot has gone right for the Bruins and wrong for the Leafs to this point. Jeremy Swayman has been virtually flawless in Boston's net, posting a .956 save percentage and allowing just four goals in three games. Ilya Samsonov has struggled for Toronto to the tune of an .882 save percentage and 12 goals against in four games.
The Bruins' power play has torched the Leafs' porous penalty kill, converting on six of 13 opportunities. Their penalty kill has shut down a Toronto power play that has too much talent to struggle as much as it has, allowing just one goal on 14 chances.
William Nylander, the Leafs' second-leading scorer, missed the first three games, reportedly due to migraines. Auston Matthews, their leading scorer, has battled a lingering illness the last two games and was ultimately pulled from Game 4 before the start of the third period.
It seems like a lot would need to flip for the Leafs to just win a game, never mind the series. It would, but in the playoffs, a lot can change quickly.
Swayman's magic could run out in Game 5. Maybe the Leafs turn to Joe Woll in net for Game 5 and he gets hot. Boston's power play could cool off and Toronto's could finally wake up. Matthews could feel a lot better with two days off between games. Nylander could be better in his second game back than he was in his first.
Beyond the X's and O's and injury reports, there is that desperation that most teams facing elimination play with. The Leafs are being counted out by everyone. Columns have already been written about the dramatic organizational overhaul that is coming once they're put out of their misery. Maybe they are as soft and dysfunctional as everyone says. Maybe they will fold up shop and go down without a fight.
The Bruins better not expect that, though. They don't have that luxury, especially after last year. They need to anticipate the same thing they saw from the Panthers last spring: a team that fights and claws for every inch right to the end and makes you pay if you're not doing the same.
It may not take long to figure out if the Bruins are ready to finish the job this year. A fast start Tuesday night would suggest that they are. A slow one would mean there's another level of desperation they need to get to.
"There's a lot of guys in our room that have gone through it just a little while ago," Montgomery said Saturday night. "It hurt. We're gonna see how much we've learned, because we'll see by our start on Tuesday."
