The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins are set to clash in their highly anticipated rivalry as they meet for the first time in the 2024-25 regular season at TD Garden on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
Both teams are seeking to find their rhythm early in the season. The Maple Leafs currently hold a record of 4-4-0, having lost two consecutive games and three out of their last four. In these three defeats—against the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and St. Louis Blues—the team has been outscored 15-4. New head coach Craig Berube, who took over for Sheldon Keefe in the offseason, expressed dissatisfaction following a 5-1 loss to the Blues. Star center Auston Matthews has netted three goals in eight games, a stark contrast to his NHL career-high 69 goals from the previous season.
Meanwhile, the Bruins have struggled to find success as well, sitting at 3-4-1 after going 0-2-1 in their last three outings, including a disappointing 4-0 defeat against the Nashville Predators, who were winless at that point. A 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars at home on Thursday further highlighted their struggles. Outside of forwards David Pastrnak and Cole Koepke, who have five and three goals respectively, other players on the roster have failed to score more than two goals. Notably, captain Brad Marchand is still looking for his first goal in eight games.
This matchup carries significant weight for both teams. The history between the two has heightened their competitive spirit, especially since they’ve faced each other in the Stanley Cup Playoffs multiple times since 2018, with Boston winning all three first-round series in seven games. Last postseason, Pastrnak’s overtime goal in Game 7 eliminated the Leafs again, but the Bruins fell to the Florida Panthers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup, in the second round.
During the offseason, both teams aimed to strengthen their rosters and address deficiencies. However, consistency has eluded them at the start of this season, making it difficult to gauge who has made the most progress or how new acquisitions will impact this fierce rivalry.
Amalie Benjamin believes Boston remains the stronger team, emphasizing their enhancements on the defensive side and the addition of Nikita Zadorov as a much-needed physical presence. Despite a current ranking tied for 24th in goals against per game, the Bruins still have potential for improvement as they aspire for another championship.
Conversely, Mike Zeisberger argues for the Maple Leafs, attributing his confidence to the change in coaching with Berube at the helm. He points to Berube’s experience, including his Stanley Cup win with the Blues, as a crucial factor in potentially overcoming the psychological edge the Bruins have over the Leafs in playoffs. The key question remains whether Berube can instill that same confidence in his players and lead them to success.