Leafs, Bruins Headline 3 Can't Miss Weekend Matchups

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins top the list of the three can't miss matchups this weekend.

May 4, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) and Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) speak after the Bruins defeated the Leafs in overtime in game seven of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins are headlining an exciting weekend of NHL action. With the league's third week of the regular season concluding, this season has already been full of twists, turns, and tons of surprises. With a full slate of games scheduled for the weekend, let's dive into the top three can't miss matchups.

Maple Leafs vs. Bruins

The Maple Leafs and Bruins always make for instant classics, and with these teams meeting for the first time since their epic playoff series, this should be another one. The Bruins are having early issues, and their 3-4-1 record isn't helping anything.

The Leafs are coming off back-to-back big losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues, and both games were absolute stinkers from Toronto. They will enter this game with a similar intensity of the Bruins, and that should make for a head-on collision on the ice.

Panthers vs. Islanders

The defending champion Florida Panthers take on the New York Islanders, and ordinarily that wouldn't generate tremendous excitement. But the difference for this matchup is that the Panthers are expecting their captain Aleksander Barkov to return to their lineup. Getting Barkov back will be a huge boost for the Cats, who have mustered a 5-3-1 record without him in the lineup.

The Islanders are 2-2-2 and will be playing the second of back-to-back games against the Panthers. Their star goaltender, Ilya Sorokin, is looking in peak condition after rehabing an injury all summer and preseason. He's a difference maker and if he's in net, he could steal the game for the Isles.

Flames vs. Jets

Who would've picked the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames as the top two teams in the NHL through the first three weeks? Not many aside from the Alberta faithful, but here we are. The undefeated Jets take on the 5-1-1 Flames in a battle of Western Conference giants.

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