The set-up: The 49-26-7 Toronto Maple Leafs (3rd in Atlantic) will open their seven-game first round series with the 50-20-12 Boston Bruins (2nd in the Atlantic) Thursday night at the TD Garden. The high-scoring Maple Leafs (3.29 GPG ranks 4th), will present a tough test for Boston, as they won three of four against Bruins this season and pushed top-seeded Washington to six games a year ago. "We're just not happy to be here," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. "The guys got a real belief in the room. They've earned the right, because of the way the season's gone, to feel like that. So, I think that's a little bit different feeling than we had at this time (last year)." Boston was the best team in hockey for a long stretch of the season but with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference there for the taking at home last Sunday against the Panthers, Boston lost 4-2. In fact, the Bruins lost four of their final five games, including that season-ending loss to Florida.

Toronto: Former overall No. 1 pick Auston Matthews missed 20 games to injury in his second season but still finished second on the team with 34 goals (points) and showed no rust in his return from a month-long absence, collecting at least one point in his final nine games. A big key for Toronto could be the No. 2 line centered by Nazem Kadri, who matched a career best with 32 goals and is joined by veteran Patrick Marleau (27 goals) and second-year forward Mitch Marner, the team's leading scorer with 69 points. Frederik Andersen is a quality goalie and went 38-21-5 during the regular season (2.81 GAA & .918 SP).

Boston: The Bruins clearly slumped at the wrong time in the season's final five games but they still finished with 112 points, won at least four straight on five different occasions and amassed an 18-game point streak. The Bruins have been one of the NHL's better defensive teams (2.57 GPG allowed ranks 4th) but they alos own more than enough offensive firepower. The No. 1 line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand (team-high 85 points) and David Pastrnak (team-high 35 goals) saw each score at least 30 goals and were the team's top three point producers. Forward Rick Nash, acquired in a blockbuster trade with the New York Rangers, practiced for the last two days after missing the final 12 games due to a concussion and is expected back in the lineup. Former Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask put together point streaks of 21 (19-0-2) and 11 games (10-0-1) but enters having lost his last three starts, including that very important game last Sunday to Florida on home ice.

The pick: Speaking of home ice, the Bruins went an impressive 28-8-5 at home this season, averaging 3.59 GPG. However, Frederik Toronto's Frederik Andersen entered the season a perfect 9-0-0 against Boston and won two of three matchups this season, surrendering a combined eight goals. Meanwhile, not only has Rask stumbled in his last three starts (allowing 11 goals) but he has just one win in his last six starts against the Maple Leafs the last two seasons. Take the 1 1/2 goals and make Toronto a 6* play.