Looking at how Boston Bruins coaching change affects Toronto Maple Leafs  

The Boston Bruins announced the dismissal of Jim Montgomery as the club’s bench boss. Now, another team’s coaching decision wouldn’t normally impact the Toronto Maple Leafs, but in this case, it does.

First of all, the Boston Bruins are the Toronto Maple Leafs biggest division rival. Sure, there are six other teams the Leafs must fight in the Atlantic Division. But none is bigger than the Boston Bruins. So, when something like a coaching change happens in Boston, the move could have serious reverberations in Toronto.

The reasons why Montgomery was let go are up for debate and are not within the scope of this article. That is why I aim to focus on how the Bruins’ coaching change impacts the Leafs.

Second, the Bruins coaching change is a tacit acknowledgment of a lost season. The Bruins are trying desperately to turn things around before they actually risk missing the playoffs. But judging from the way things are going, there’s a good chance the Bruins will miss the playoffs.

That situation means the Leafs won’t be on a collision course against their most hated rival. Looking at the standings, it could be the Leafs will face either the Tampa Bay Lightning or Ottawa Senators in the first round.

That is assuming the Leafs finish second in the Atlantic Division. Given Boston raising the white flag, the Leafs should be motivated to win the division. Doing so could set up the Leafs for a first-round matchup against a wildcard team like the Sens, New York Islanders, or perhaps the Buffalo Sabres.

The playoff journey gets a little bit easier without Boston Bruins in the way

With the Bruins potentially falling off the map, the Leafs could set themselves up for two playoff series without the Bruins on the radar.

While there is an infinite number of scenarios, let’s assume the Leafs finish second in the Atlantic. That could set up a first-round matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts have looked extremely vulnerable this season. So, the chances of the Leafs advancing are quite good.

Then, the Leafs would most likely run into the Florida Panthers in the second round. Again, the Panthers have looked vulnerable at times this season. But there’s also something different. The Leafs aren’t the same team that the Panthers bounced in the second round a couple of seasons ago.

The Leafs are a much tougher team to play against this season. As such, the Panthers will get a run for their money. Assuming everything goes well, the Leafs could be in for their first Conference Finals appearance in two decades.

As it stands, the Leafs could run into the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, or New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Toronto Maple Leafs stay healthy by the third round of the playoffs, they could take advantage of their opponents' injuries and weaknesses.

I’ll stop there since predicting who could make it out of the West is a story for another day. But as you can see, there’s a clearer path for the Leafs to reach the Stanley Cup Final without Boston getting in the way.

Please note I meant “easier” not “easy.” There’s still a lot of hockey left in this season. So, the next few months should be extremely entertaining.