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As with most Thursdays on the NHL schedule, the lineup of matchups is pretty stellar. It includes an interconference showdown of two of the hottest teams in the league as the Nashville Predators visit the Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/Hulu). There is also a game that will have big ramifications on the Eastern Conference wild-card race as the New York Islanders take on the Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+).
But the highest-profile matchup on the docket is the New York Rangers’ visit to TD Garden to play the Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+). The two teams currently lead their respective divisions, and the Bruins hold the top spot in the entire league.
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The Rangers have won both games in the season series to this point, 7-4 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 25 and 2-1 in OT in Boston on Dec. 16. We’ll see a more playoff-ready version of each team in this contest, but what are the chances this is the matchup in the Eastern Conference finals?
Using Stathletes projections, the East bracket will line up as follows: A1 Bruins vs. WC2 Washington Capitals; A2 Panthers vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs; M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning; M2 Rangers vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers.
The Bruins lost their one game against the Caps this season, with two more upcoming; but let’s assume they can get by Alex Ovechkin & Co. The Rangers have fared better against the Flyers, winning both games so far with two left on the slate.
Looking ahead to Round 2, the Bruins swept the Maple Leafs this season and have two wins in two tries against Florida (with two more remaining). As for the Rangers, they’ve gone 2-1 against both the Canes (pre-Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel) and Lightning.
Matchups matter en route to the Stanley Cup Final, but there is certainly a strong chance that Thursday’s showdown will be repeated as a best-of-7 in May.
As we traverse the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check in on…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39770125/nhl-playoffs-bracket-standings-2024-rangers-bruins-matchups
Author : Tim Kavanagh
Publish date : 2024-03-21 11:11:02
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