Hendricken & PC Alum Acciari Gets Bumped Up to Third Line for Bruins’ Playoff Series vs. Toronto

It seemed like a fait accompli.

For the majority of the 2017-18 season, the Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs appeared to be careening towards a meeting in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Some late-season jostling put the matchup in jeopardy, but after Boston’s loss in the regular-season finale on Sunday night, the Original Six showdown is now set.

For the 15th time in history – and first time since 2013 – it will be Boston and Toronto in the postseason.

"I’m looking forward to it," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "Two Original Six teams. They’re young…they’ve got some veteran guys – [Patrick] Marleau, [James] van Riemsdyk, certain guys that they expect to lean on. [Nazem] Kadri’s kind of in between. We have some younger guys; we have some guys we’re going to lean on.

"We both exited in the first round last year, probably learned some lessons. They’ve got a great coach [in Mike Babcock] that I’ve always looked up to and tried to learn from. I think both [have] good goaltenders.

"It should be a terrific series if both teams are on their game, and that’s playoff hockey right there – a lot of speed, probably a lot of physicality."