When two Original Six rivals just like the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs match up within the playoffs, little is required by way of outdoors story traces to gas the competitors.
The B’s and Leafs have gone seven video games every of the final two instances they’ve met within the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Boston taking every of these collection in thrilling trend, together with a four-goal third interval in final yr’s first spherical.
But that collection gave approach to the workforce’s subsequent huge battle of the summer time — the one for famous person middle John Tavares.
While Toronto was closely favored to signal the free agent heading into final offseason, the Bruins made fairly the push to land the 28-year-old. That effort was not misplaced on Tavares, who regardless of opting to signal along with his hometown workforce, informed NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that he thought-about a transfer to the Black and Gold “quite a bit.”
“They were a great team to meet with and definitely a team I thought about for quite a bit,” Tavares mentioned. “They’re a very impressive group.”
Tavares and Toronto appeared like a destined matchup, so the middle’s final choice didn’t come as a large shock. Perhaps the larger shock was simply how shut Boston might have come to stealing the pivot from their bitter rivals.
“I’d already had a lot of respect and a really good impression of what the Boston Bruins had been for basically a decade and playing against them a lot,” Tavares mentioned. “You’re impressed by the way they work together. How they try to build their hockey team and how they envision having success in both the short and long terms.”
“The professionalism, structure and attention to detail goes right through the organization, and you see that trickle down to the type of players they have on the ice that have set the tone for them for a long time. Those are major points.”
Bruins followers can now solely think about what Boston’s ahead traces would have seemed like with Tavares within the fold. Should the middle have signed with the Black and Gold, nevertheless, it probably would have triggered extra roster strikes to make room for Tavares’ large contract — which in flip may have modified the dynamic of the workforce.
Looking again, given the spectacular season put up by David Krejci, who admitted that Boston’s pursuit of Tavares made him uneasy, the Bruins have gone on simply tremendous. However, a primary spherical win over the Leafs would go a good distance in solidifying that.
Thumbnail photograph through John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Images