Bruins start second round against Islanders on Saturday night

BOSTON — The National Hockey League has announced that the Boston Bruins will begin their second-round playoff series against the New York Islanders on Saturday night at 8 p.m. at TD Garden.

The Bruins, the three seed in the East Division of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, will have home ice in the series against the fourth-seeded Islanders. The winner of the best-of-seven series will advance to the Stanley Cup Semifinals.

Saturday night. Full house. Can’t wait. pic.twitter.com/AA0arZ8rRK
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 27, 2021

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Saturday will also be the first time since March 2020 that Bruins fans can fill TD Garden to 100% capacity, as the state’s and city’s capacity restrictions on large venues are lifted May 29.

Boston played their way to the second round by defeating the second-seed Washington Capitals four games to one in the first round. The Islanders knocked off the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

In their eight-game season series, the Bruins dropped their first five contests against the Islanders - three regulation losses followed by one in overtime and another in a shootout. Following the trade deadline where Boston acquired Taylor Hall, Curtis Lazar and Mike Reilly, the Bruins won their last three games against the Isles, the last of which required an OT winner from Hall.