I’m going to be discussing the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series between Toronto and Boston which is set to begin on Thursday. Boston finished 2^nd in the Atlantic Division with 112 points and Toronto was 3^rd at 105. As a result, the Bruins will hold home ice advantage if it comes to a decisive Game 7.

There’s one thing we know for sure, one of these very good teams will exit the Stanley Cup Playoffs early, and by all accounts that’s an absolute shame. Boston and Toronto finished 2^nd and 3^rd in the Eastern Conference standings overall. Nevertheless, due to the current NHL Playoff format which sees the second and third place finishers in each division squaring off against one another during the first round, it will result in one of these excellent teams exiting early.

Bruins Squander Chance to Win Atlantic Division Crown

Boston had a glorious opportunity to win on the Atlantic Division title on the final day of regular season action. They trailed 1^st place Tampa Bay by just 1 point and were hosting Florida who had already been eliminated from the playoff contention. Furthermore, Tampa Bay had already completed their regular season slate the day before. It was a simple formula for Boston, defeat Florida and they would be the Atlantic Division winner.  Unfortunately, they proceeded to lose 4-2, and instead of a first round matchup against the Eastern Conference #8 seed New Jersey Devils, they’ll face an extremely dangerous opponent in Toronto starting on Thursday.

Leafs Recent Domination of Bruins

Toronto won 3 of the 4 regular season matchups between these Atlantic Division rivals. As a matter of fact, since the start of last season, Toronto has taken 7 of their 8 games played against Boston, and that includes winning all 4 on home ice.

Final Take and Pick

The current NHL Playoff series odds at Bookmaker indicates that Boston is a money line favorite of -160 while Toronto comes in at +130. I don’t see a decided edge for either team regarding the special teams or goaltending categories. Toronto does possess a sizable advantage in terms of post season head coaching experience with Mike Babcock over Boston’s Bruce Cassidy.

This has all the earmarks of a series that will require an entire 7 games being played to produce the winner. I firmly believe the underdog possesses ample betting value, and one of my NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series picks is symptomatic of such.

Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs +130

Ross Benjamin is a top sports analyst and one of the sports industry's most respected handicappers. Follow him on Twitter: @RossBenjamin1 or visit his website at RBWins.com.