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# Boston in town for Matthews first game back
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/boston-in-town-for-matthews-first-game-back/
- Published: 2025-01-04T17:13:02.000Z
- Updated: 2025-01-04T17:13:02.000Z
- Description: Welcome to Matthews, that is, not the Bruins. I don't know how they keep getting let in.
- Author: Cathy Squires
- Tags: Game Coverage

### Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs  
07:00 PM at Scotiabank Arena  
Watch on: SN, CBC, NESN

### 

The Leafs last game was away on January 2 against the New York Islanders, which Toronto won by a score of 2-1 in regulation. The Leafs have a record of 24-13-2 for a 0.641 Points %.

The Boston Bruins last played away on January 2 against the New York Rangers. The Bruins lost by a score of 2-1 in regulation, and their current league record is 20-16-4 for a 0.550 Points %.

### Them

That record of theirs needs to be unpacked a little. Looking at the standing the incorrect way by points, and you see the Bruins in third place in the Atlantic. By Points %, they are fourth. If the playoffs were held today they be in because anyone outside the top three in the Metro is hopeless. But they are on very thin ice in that spot and if the Senators got their act together, they'd have that place very quickly. And the Bruins would still be in the playoffs. Someone else, possibly Columbus or the Rangers would need to have a better second half of the season.

But the Bruins have the percentage they have now because they've been lucky in overtime and have been in overtime a lot. Sounds like the Leafs last year, only they were innovators and doing it with loser points.

The Bruins have been in OT 10 times. They've won six of them, and that is how a team with an average xG% and no value adds anywhere can be where they are instead of other weak teams like Montréal or Columbus or the Penguins. 

#### Lines

From [Fluto Shinzawa](https://x.com/FlutoShinzawa/status/1875581642003378198?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Brad Marchand - Elias Lindholm - David Pastrnak  
Pavel Zacha - Charlie Coyle - Morgan Geekie   
Oliver Wahlstrom - Trent Frederic - Justin Brazeau  
John Beecher - Mark Kastelic - Cole Koepke

Nikita Zadorov - Charlie McAvoy  
Jordan Oesterle - Brandon Carlo  
Mason Lohrei - Andrew Peeke

Jeremy Swayman - starter  
Joonas Korpisalo

### Us

Matthews is back. Nothing else matters.

> Matthews ready to return: “It’s no fun watching.” Hopes to play Flyers tomorrow, too”
> 
> — Lance Hornby 🇺🇦 (@sunhornby) [January 4, 2025](https://twitter.com/sunhornby/status/1875571791768547767?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Two games vs the Islanders is absolutely no fun.

#### Lines

David Alter via [Daily Faceoff](https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/toronto-maple-leafs/line-combinations/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner  
Max Pacioretty - John Tavares - William Nylander  
Bobby McMann - Max Domi - Nicholas Robertson  
Steven Lorentz - David Kämpf - Connor Dewar

Morgan Rielly - Philippe Myers  
Jake McCabe - Chris Tanev  
Simon Benoit - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Joe Woll - starter  
Dennis Hildeby

### The Game

The thing to watch with the Bruins is that Expected Goal rate on the power play is very good, and Swayman has been a good goalie. If their really horrible Shooting % and bad Save % are good for one game, they're a hard team to beat. Otherwise, they're a team hard to keep out of overtime.