Boston Bruins will face Carolina Hurricanes in first round of NHL Playoffs

The Bruins will be the Eastern Conference’s top Wild Card team and will face Metropolitan Division champion Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the NHL playoffs that begin next week.

Dates and times of the games have yet to be announced.

The Bruins had a chance to move up to the Atlantic Division’s No. 3 seed and a rematch with the Maple Leafs if they earned more points from their game at Toronto than the Tampa Bay Lightning did against the New York Islanders Friday.

But Bruce Cassidy chose instead to rest Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Erik Haula, Taylor Hall, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Matt Grzelcyk. The combination of bottom-six forwards and Providence call-ups lost to Toronto, 5-2.

The Hurricanes swept the Bruins in three regular season games this season, but they’ll be without star goalie Frederik Andersen, whose return timetable is undetermined.

The Eastern Conference matchups are:

Atlantic Division champions Florida Panthers vs. No. 2 Wild Card Washington Capitals

Metropolitan Division champion Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 1 Wild Card Boston Bruins

Atlantic No. 2 Toronto vs. Atlantic No. 3 Tampa Bay

Metropolitan Division No. 2 New York Rangers vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins

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