Here we go again: another first-round series between Boston and Toronto. For the second straight year, the Bruins and Leafs finished second and third respectively in the Atlantic and will have to unfairly square off in the opening round despite both teams residing in the league’s top eight.



There’s been one such first-round series in every season since the change to the current playoff format. With the Lightning unlikely to relinquish their perch atop the division anytime soon, this might be the new normal until there’s a change to the brutal playoff setup.



Naturally, this matchup looks to be very close as a result, the closest of any opening series, with a nearly one-in-three chance of the series going the distance. It’s as close to a coin flip as you’ll see, a probability that basically says “no, I don’t know what’s going to happen in this series, but I’m excited to watch.”



Those probabilities may...