Article content
Following each game in the first round between the Maple Leafs and Bruins, we’ll be providing a quick synopsis of the clubs’ goaltending performances.
Article content
Given the way the regular season unfolded as a whole, it should have surprised no one that the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman was better than the Maple Leafs’ Ilya Samsonov in Game 1, a 5-1 Boston win.
Article content
No matter what the Leafs threw at Swayman, he was sound positionally and was steady in making 35 saves. It was a continuance of the four meetings between the Leafs and Bruins in 2023-24, when Swayman backstopped Boston to three victories against Toronto. Little that the Leafs did in Game 1 caught Swayman off-guard.
Samsonov couldn’t make saves when there were breakdowns, and if you’re going to advance in the playoffs, there must be some stops in those situations. Samsonov had to deal with screens on a couple of Bruins goals but his tracking wasn’t great either.
Share this article in your social network
