READ AND UNDERSTAND THE: Reason why Brad Marchand thinks the Leafs will be a “very tough matchup” in the first round.

The original article Why Brad Marchand sees the Leafs as a “very tough matchup” in Round 1 ran on NBC Sports Boston.

In the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, many Boston Bruins supporters would have rather had their club play the Toronto Maple Leafs than the Tampa Bay Lightning. And those supporters eventually got what they wanted when the Bruins finished the regular season with back-to-back losses, dropping them to second place in the Atlantic Division.

This series should be difficult for Boston even while there’s a good case to be made that, sure, the Leafs are a better fit for the Bruins than the Lightning. In the playoffs, there are never any easy games, and the Leafs’ all-star team makes for plenty of difficulties.

Over the past year, the Leafs have also attempted to fortify their squad. They gained seasoned defenseman Joel Edmundson at the trade deadline, and they also added forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi during the previous summer.

That’s what you want at the beginning of the season. You’re looking for a chance to compete for a Cup. After practice on Thursday, Bruins captain Brad Marchand told reporters, “Toronto is going to be an extremely tough matchup.”

“They play a much harder, rougher brand of hockey, and they have a ton of firepower. They added some toughness around the trade deadline. It should be enjoyable, and this matchup is fantastic. We can’t wait to start underway.”

Over the past 11 years, the Bruins-Leafs rivalry has grown to be one of the NHL’s best. But in terms of outcomes, it’s been a somewhat one-sided affair. In 2013, 2018, and 2019, the Bruins eliminated the Leafs in the first round. Boston’s record against Toronto in the regular season was also 4-0-0.

However, don’t anticipate the Bruins to enter this series with excessive confidence.

Machand summed up the Bruins’ recent victory over the Leafs as “meaningless.” Since the deadline, they have evolved. They are playing with great skill. Everything is different during the playoffs. Every team starts from scratch. It’s over and done with, regardless of where you place or how you performed during the regular season. It starts over. It’s all about getting back to zero.”

The Bruins are acutely aware of how little significance regular season outcomes have in the postseason.

Last season, they broke records in the league for victories and points scored, however they were eliminated in the first round by the Florida Panthers. Before succumbing to Tampa Bay in a five-game second-round series, the Bruins had a 3-1-0 record against the Lightning during the 2017–18 regular season. A very strong Pittsburgh Penguins team that made major trade deadline additions and was the clear favorite to win the Eastern Conference swept the Bruins in the regular season in 2013. When the Bruins defeated the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final, none of that mattered.

All season long, the Bruins have been a driven team. Given all the talent the Bruins lost last summer, not many people believed going into the season that they would be serious competitors in the Eastern Conference. It’s reasonable to say that the Bruins have exceeded most people’s expectations—at least thus far. It will be interesting to see if they can repeat the feat in April, May, and possibly June.

“We had different adversity we had to go through this year together,” stated Marchand. “Many people dismissed us before the season even started. This year, we joined together and created something amazing, and we now have another chance to do it.”

The series’ opening game is set to take place at TD Garden on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.