NHL playoffs 2017: Senators vs. Bruins preview and prediction

The Bruins and Senators provide a unique series with a lot of young players making their presence known for the first time in the postseason.

The Bruins were a team a couple months ago that no one expected to make a run, and now they have a legitimate shot to make it to the conference semifinals.

However, Ottawa will provide a challenge for the B’s, and carries momentum after handing the Bruins a shootout loss in the second-to-last game of the season. The Senators won each of its four games against them. Moreover, they won two of their three games against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The big piece of this series will be how the Bruins perform in Ottawa before headed back to the TD Garden in Boston. The Bruins will need to bounce back from two tough losses to end the season, but will welcome the return of Brad Marchand to their offense after his two-game suspension.

For the Senators, goalie Craig Anderson will be a key factor in shutting down the offensive side of the Bruins, specifically trying to contain veterans like Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Backes. His .926 save percentage ranked fourth in the league in the regular season among goalies, and he will have a solid wall on the defensive side in front of him with the presence of Erik Karlsson.

Series prediction:

Bruins win the series in six games

The Bruins should make it out of this first round series as long as they perform well at home, and steal an early game in Ottawa. The team will be sending out a lot of inexperienced young players,  including Charlie McAvoy for his first career NHL game in Game 1, and injuries are beginning to pile up on the defensive side. However, the leadership of Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, and the scoring presence of Brad Marchand will drive the team.