Silver Chalice Pursuit

Hope Runs High in the Opening Round

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins  The Bruins regular season accomplishments are par excellence, the playoffs…not so much recently and after the Leafs removed the first round exit gorilla off their backs last season this fourth opening round meeting between these two clubs (past 12 seasons) will be interesting.

Boston hosts Toronto at eight o’clock tonight and these two division rivals are evenly matched statistically with the Bruins winning just one more game than the Leafs during the regular season, so where to look first?

Goaltending is going to be the key or more precisely lack of goaltending, with Boston’s Mr. Ullmark and Swayman appearing phenomenal at times and each earning over .900 SV% for their efforts.

Toronto net minding is a bit different with their number one goalie not playing up to a high percentage number but losing only seven times out of 40 game starts and the two backups are barely able to keep their goals against average under three but can steal games.

Boston plays a strong style with good defense and great goaltending while Toronto relies on a productive high-flying offense with some good goaltending and although it is written defense wins championships, but not always and in this series offense wins the day with Toronto in six.

Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Islanders This series has the Islanders visiting the Hurricanes meeting them in the opening round for the second consecutive season and splitting their four game 2023-24 regular season series with each team dropping one at home.

The Hurricanes have one of the league’s best goal differentials and their number one goaltender, rookie Pyotr Kochetkov has played above average displacing Mr. Raanta to the AHL and finally waivers now that Mr. Andersen returned to net minding duties from injury.

Carolina showcases three 30 goal scorers, and probably one of the best head coaches a team could have in HC Brind’Amour, and to top it off the Hurricanes had the NHL regular season’s number one penalty kill and the league’s second overall power play.

HC Roy’s Islanders are the third seeded team in the Metro Division with a bruising style of play dishing out over 2,000 hits, number one goaltender Semyon Varlamov is smoking hot bringing in a recent 8-1-1 stretch earning a 2.09 GAA with very strong .930 SV% with one shutout.

If New York has any hope at all of taking this series it will be the continuation of Mr. Varlamov’s outstanding play with the boys in front constantly hitting the Hurricanes off their game, otherwise Carolina wins in a sweep.