First things first. Few expected to see the Bruins amass 109 points this season, not after the losses of Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and a bevy of very good role players.

High marks go to GM Don Sweeney and Coach Jim Montgomery for giving people reasons to show up at the Garden beyond fun trips down memory lane in this Centennial season. If you doubt that that’s an impressive accomplishment given the circumstances, ask Kyle Dubas or Steve Yzerman, whose teams in Pittsburgh and Detroit are cleaning out their lockers today.

But the truth of the matter, fair or not, is that whatever happened in the regular season will be forgotten if there’s another early playoff flameout. The Bruins may not be weighed down by the Stanley Cup-or-bust expectations of last season, but in the first round they’re playing the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have played the patsy for the Bruins over the last decade. Bruins fans surely expect that continue.

So, yeah, there is some pressure. And, as always, there are questions, which were only highlighted by the team’s 1-3 finish to kick away the Atlantic Division title. Here five:

How will goalies be utilized?

That question’s been simmering all season, especially after Montgomery admittedly stayed with Linus Ullmark too long in the Bruins’ shocking playoff loss to the Florida Panthers last year. While neither Ullmark nor Jeremy Swayman has won a playoff series in their careers, nor did either have quite the Vezina season that Ullmark had last year, goaltending is a strength. Now Montgomery, in conjunction with goalie coach Bob Essensa, must figure out how to make the most of it.

With a couple of minor exceptions, the Bruins have gone with a straight rotation all season. It will probably come down to feel, but will they start out with a strict rotation, say, through the first four games of the series? While some say they should go with what got them here, Swayman has owned the Leafs this year, going 3-0 and allowing just four goals for a .959 save percentage. He notched a pair of 4-1 wins over the Leafs in a week in March when the Leafs had a chance to overtake the Bruins in the standings.

Then again, Ullmark has been a little stronger down the stretch. Since the trade deadline, Ullmark posted a 6–3 record and a .935 save percentage, and Swayman was 4-4 with an .887 save percentage.

There are decision to be made, and ones that will be red meat for second-guessers should they not work.

Can Brad Marchand flip switch?

Last season, Marchand scored just one goal in his final 18 games of the regular season. But then, with the juggernaut team suddenly beset with injuries, he had 4-6-10 totals in the seven games against Florida. He was far from perfect in his zone, like every other Bruin, but the production turnaround was remarkable.

This season, the late drought is just as concerning. Marchand, 35, had two goals in his last 16 games and has not scored a power-play goal since Jan. 13. That’s a long time for someone who has seen PP1 time in every game until the season finale, when he and Charlie McAvoy were taken off the first unit.

The captain’s competitiveness cannot be questioned, and the Leafs tend to bring out the best in him. He’s got 52 points in 53 career games against Toronto, including five in four this year, which includes an overtime winner. In the playoffs, he’s got 7-14-21 totals in 21 games against the Leafs. The Bruins  could use that kind of production again.

Six Game 1 defensemen?

Well, we can guess four of them, anyway. McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm have been a good top pair. Brandon Carlo, presuming he’ll be healthy and ready to go for Game 1 (it’s the playoffs, you can never be too sure on any team proclamations on injuries), will anchor the second pair and be the first over the boards on the penalty kill. And Andrew Peeke has provided the snarl on the third pairing the Bruins were looking at the trade deadline.

That leaves two undetermined spots on the left side. Veteran Kevin Shattenkirk has seemingly seized a spot on the third pairing, especially with his elevation to the first power-play unit and his knack for getting the puck to the net. Matt Grzelcyk has had an up and down season and, like Shattenkirk, he has his challenges in the defensive zone due to size, which have become magnified in the playoffs. Still, he moves the puck well and can play on any of the pairs.

That would leave out Parker Wotherspoon, who has carved out an NHL niche after toiling for years in the AHL. He doesn’t possess the puck-moving chops of Shattenkirk or Grzelcyk, but his in-your-face style could translate well to playoff hockey, especially in end-of-game situations. Could Montgomery go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen? It’s something Tampa’s Jon Cooper has done frequently and Montgomery didn’t rule it out when asked recently.

Can Bruins score enough?

While they went into Wednesday’s games ranked fourth in 5-on-5 goals allowed (135), they were ranked 13th in 5-on-5 goals scored (174) and totals goals (263). Going into their final regular-season game, the Leafs led the league in 5-on-5 goals for (198) and were 15th in 5-on-5 against (163).

And while the Bruins have gotten decent depth scoring from players like Danton Heinen, Trent Frederic, Pavel Zacha, Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk, they are still top heavy in the production department. David Pastrnak won’t win the Hart Trophy, but there’s a good reason why he’s in the conversation. He led the Bruins with 110 points (47-63) but there’s a 43-point gap between him and the next highest scorer (Marchand with 29-38-67).

There have been signs the burden has been weighing on Pastrnak. He went goal-less in his last five games. On the power play, the bread and butter for most prolific scorers, he hasn’t scored since March 7, his only PP tally since Jan. 25.

The Leafs are not the greatest defensive team in the league, but there’s no doubt they’ll be focused on stopping No. 88.

Pat Maroon impact?

We all know Maroon’s pedigree. He won three straight Stanley Cups (2019, 2020, 2021) and his rugged style filled a definitive role on all those teams (St. Louis, then twice with Tampa). After being bounced by the more physical Panthers, Bruins’ management recognized the need to beef up, first signing Milan Lucic and, after Lucic had to leave the team for an off-ice incident, trading for Maroon even though the latter was coming off Feb. 7 back surgery.

In the two games he’s been able to play, it appears as though he’s ready to contribute – and Montgomery is here for it. In his first game back, he played 13:36. In his second game, he played 15:58 and pegged to see PP1 time, though the Bruins didn’t draw any penalties. Those aren’t just fourth-line minutes.

Maroon’s presence in front of the opposing net and grinding along the walls and end boards could be a difference in a seven-game series.

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