Two years removed from their Stanley Cup victory, the Boston Bruins were trying to get back to a position to win it once again. They would finish second in the Atlantic Division in a shortened regular season due to the lockout.
In the first round, they faced a team they knew well in the Toronto Maple Leafs, who remained close in the standings for most of the season and finished only five points behind the Bruins. The series went very much like the regular season matchups, as the first two games, which were played in Boston, would be split with each team winning once.