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Final: Maple Leafs 5, Bruins 2 - Bruins end regular season with loss to Toronto
The Bruins will be back in game action on Friday with a matchup against the Maple Leafs up in Toronto. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Follow along for updates from Friday's game.
WHO: Bruins (51-25-5) vs. Maple Leafs (53-21-7)
WHEN: 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Scotiabank Arena
TV: NESN
RADIO: 98.5-FM The Sports Hub
LIVE BOX SCORE: NHL.com
PROJECTED LINEUP
BOSTON
Frederic-Coyle-Smith
DeBrusk-Studnicka-McLaughlin
Foligno-Lazar-Steen
Blidh-Nosek-Wagner
Ahcan-Carlo
Reilly-Brown
Forbort-Clifton
Swayman
Ullmark
TORONTO
Pierre Engvall -- Alexander Kerfoot -- William Nylander
Ilya Mikheyev -- Nicholas Abruzzese -- Colin Blackwell
Kyle Clifford -- David Kampf -- Wayne Simmonds
Jason Spezza -- Joey Anderson --
Morgan Rielly -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Mark Giordano -- Timothy Liljegren
Jake Muzzin -- TJ Brodie
Justin Holl
Erik Kallgren
Jack Campbell
Scratched: Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner
Injured: Michael Bunting (lower body), Ondrej Kase (concussion), Rasmus Sandin (knee), Petr Mrazek (groin), John Tavares (maintenance)
PREGAME NOTES
This might as well be a Providence Bruins / Toronto Marlies matchup, as both Boston and Toronto are set to rest a number of lineup regulars for Friday’s regular-season finale.
Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Taylor Hall, Erik Haula, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Matt Grzelcyk will also not play on Friday. These eight players will take their spots in the lineup: Marc McLaughlin, Anton Blidh, Jack Studnicka, Oskar Steen, Chris Wagner, Mike Reilly, Josh Brown, and Jack Ahcan.
Jeremy Swayman will get the start in net.
Of course, while Friday’s game may not be very heavy on the highlights, there’s still a ton at stake in terms of playoff positioning — as Boston still doesn’t know who they will play in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In terms of a full breakdown:
The Bruins will clinch the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Division and a first-round matchup against the Maple Leafs and the Lightning will clinch the first wild card and a first-round matchup against the Hurricanes:
If the Bruins defeat the Maple Leafs in any fashion AND the Islanders defeat the Lightning in any fashion
OR
If the Bruins get one point against the Maple Leafs AND the Islanders defeat the Lightning in regulation.
In the other scenario….
The Bruins will clinch the first wild card from the Eastern Conference and a first-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes (and Maple Leafs will battle the Leafs) if:
The Lightning defeat the New York Islanders in any fashion
OR
If the Lightning get one point against the Islanders AND the Maple Leafs defeat the Bruins in any fashion.
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