Bruins Daily: Bruins Elite; Krejci; Bruins’ Playoff Opponent

The Boston Bruins do not know yet, whom their opponent will be for the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs but they do know it will either be the Florida Panthers or the New York Islanders.

That, and more Bruins and NHL news in the latest Bruins Daily:

Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery is extremely confident that veteran center David Krejci will return for Game 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

No knowledgable hockey fan will ever say that the 2022-23 Boston Bruins were a better team than the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, or even the 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings. An argument can easily be made though that they are a better team than the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning, given that team got swept in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and ten members of this current Bruins squad helped the 2018-19 Bruins to Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. No matter what though, this Bruins team is and always will be an elite team.

Eastern Conference Wild Card Race

PIT: The ultimate choke job by the 2022-23 Pittsburgh Penguins is complete. The Penguins were officially eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention on Wednesday night when the New York Islanders earned a point – actually two – in a 4-2 win over the Canadiens. This will be the first time Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins have missed the playoffs since the 2005-06 season.

FLA: As of now, the Florida Panthers would be the first round playoff opponent for the Boston Bruins but that could change tonight. If the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes, then they would leapfrog the New York Islanders for the top Wild Card slot in the Eastern Conference and play either those same Hurricanes or the New Jersey Devils in the first round.

National Hockey Now

MTL: The Montreal Canadiens took another loss and could very well be picking in the Top 5 of the NHL Entry Draft again this June.

PHI: The Philadelphia Flyers‘ 2023 NHL Draft lottery spot has been sealed.

COL: The Colorado Avalanche could be getting forward Artturi Lehkonen back very soon.

NHL

The Hurricanes have signed former Boston Junior Bruin and 2023 National Champion and Quinnipiac goalie Yaniv Perets to an NHL entry level deal.