The Boston Bruins-Toronto Maple Leafs matchup in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs seemed preordained for months. Can the addition of John Tavares carry the rest of the Leafs to finally slay their demons? Let's break it down:
How they got here: The Bruins overcame injuries to the majority of their roster -- only four players appeared in more than 75 games, and none was a defenseman -- to again end up one of the NHL's top teams, with a 49-24-9 record and 107 points. They were third in goals against (2.59 per game) and 11th in goals (at 3.13) per game, fueled by Brad Marchand's 100-point season, David Pastrnak's 38 goals in 66 games and 73 points from David Krejci, matching his…
