The Boston Bruins got out of their first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs alive, but those seven playoff games took their toll.
They’ll roll into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Rangers on Thursday without defensemen Dennis Seidenberg, Wade Redden and Andrew Ference. On the bright side, dinged-up pest Brad Marchand will play as promised.
On the Rangers’ side, the Bergen Record’s Tom Gulitti points out that John Tortorella is expected to acknowledge the Bruins’ forward depth by splitting up key blueliners Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi.
The two “Original Six” franchises are set to renew acquaintances at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight on NBC Sports Network.