The Leafs have yet to lead the Bruins for a single second this season.

This morning, I recapped the first two games of the 2024 National Hockey League playoffs.

Unsurprisingly, the Bruins’ humiliation of the Leafs stole the show from the Hurricanes’ victory over the Islanders.

The Leafs played a bad game, and the Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the series.

Personally, I wasn’t surprised by the result.

But based on the various predictions of “experts” both at Sportsnet and in Quebec, I imagine many were surprised by such a one-sided result.

Honestly, I don’t understand how so many people can favor the Leafs over the Bruins, even to the point of predicting a Leafs win in 4 or 5 five games.

Yes, on paper, the Leafs have a better attack and a line-up that should win against the Bruins, but we’re talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I repeat, we’re talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs facing the Boston Bruins in the playoffs.

Toronto hasn’t won a series against the Bruins since 1959…

And when you look at the stats between the two teams this season, it seems even easier to make a prediction.

The Leafs have yet to take the lead for a single second this season in five meetings with the Bruins.

That’s a crazy statistic, and to take it a step further, well, the Leafs haven’t won against the Bruins in their last eight meetings.

In short, the Leafs have never led once this season in five games against the Bruins, and we should expect the Leafs to win this series by taking the lead a minimum of four times?

Let’s find out.

Well, I know that the series is far from over, and that the Leafs still have plenty of time to make me swallow my words, but for now, from what I saw of yesterday’s game and with the stats in the Bruins’ favour, it looks bad once again for the Leafs.

Their performance yesterday really left something to be desired after the Bruins’ first goal.

The Leafs came out very strong, and Jeremy Swayman had to make some big saves for Boston, but then they fell apart.

It even makes you wonder if Martin St-Louis’ Montreal Canadiens of this season would have offered better opposition to the Bruins than the Leafs.

Honestly, it might, considering that the Habs are a much more cohesive team, with a much harder-working, snarling style than the Leafs.

In short, this series is one to watch.

On the move

– A date to mark in your calendar.

– All the better.

– Wow. I don’t think any NHL team would make a tweet like that. Hats off to Nottingham Forest for denouncing fraudulent officiating.

– Very true.

– Indeed. Victor Wanyama should be on the pitch a lot more often.

CF have conceded the equaliser or late winner 3 times in 8 games. Each time, the team’s only designated player ($1.5M), whose experience and task is to slow down opposing attacks, is on the bench twiddling his thumbs. If he doesn’t get in…

– Jeremy Filosa (@JeremyFilosa) April 21, 2024