Want a little info to make you sleep a bit better into the first playoff game for the Boston Bruins in three years?

At one end of the odds makers list is the Capitals-Leafs series with Washington a whopping favorite. At the other, almost even in the Canadiens-Rangers’ round with the Habs a slight favorite.

In the middle, the Black and Gold at almost 2-to-1 to win four games, starting Wednesday night in Ottawa. The comparable series is Chicago over Nashville.

Scratching your head about Boston’s fortunes ahead? Here are five likely reasons why the B’s are looking good vs. the Sens in Round 1.

Special teams play

After 82 regular season games in which special teams play is an important part of each game, power plays and penalty kills step up to crucial status on the playoff stage. The Bruins enter the playoffs with the seventh-best power play in the league, the Senators at No. 23. Boston is even better on the penalty kill at No. 1 in the NHL; Ottawa at No. 22.

That regular-season record

Yeah, the B’s did not beat the Senators in the regular season, going 0-3-1. But the scores of those games, respectively were 3-1, 4-2, 3-2, and 2-1 in the shootout loss last week. All were nail-biters to the end. Not likely that Boston not only goes without a win the next two weeks, but also better still, those scores remain somewhat the same, but with a different winner.

Offensive fire power

In four games vs. Ottawa this year, David Pastrnak tallied a goal and an assist. (Photo by Angela Spagna, Bruins Daily)

Ottawa’s offensive stats are led by a defenseman, Erik Karlsson with 71 points and 18 goals. No. 2 behind Karlsson is forward Mike Hoffman with 61 points and 26 goals. Those stats are dwarfed by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Marchand has 85 points and 39 goals; Pastrnak with 70 and 34 goals. If you were to put a small wager on which pair outperforms the other over seven games, well, the odds on the Black and Gold pair escalate well beyond the series line.

Ottawa does not match up beyond when Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and David Backes enter the scene.

Not even close in the all-important faceoff category with Bergeron, especially in Ottawa’s zone.

Unclogging that 1-3-1 trap in the neutral zone

Ottawa lives and dies with its 1-3-1 clog-the-neutral-zone defense under Guy Boucher. While that has worked in the regular season, the intensity of playoff hockey favors the team with speed and transition. Unless the ‘Sens spend more time in the Bruins’ end and have more puck management, look for Bruce Cassidy’s crew to use their speed to get up a goal or two and force Ottawa to change its game plan as the game winds down.

While the B’s will miss Torey Krug’s outlet passes and Brandon Carlo’s presence on defense with Zdeno Chara, GM Don Sweeney didn’t sign Charlie McAvoy as a practice fill-in. He will be paired with Chara and an adequate replacement for both against Ottawa.

Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin

Tuukka Rask will be one of the keys to the Bruins pulling off a first round upset over the Sens in Round 1. (Photo by Angela Spagna, Bruins Daily)

A month ago, likely no way the B’s are in postseason play. But a funny thing happened on the march through March and into April. Rask and Khudobin started winning.

In his last six games – excluding the finale against Washington on Saturday – Khudobin has surrendered 10 goals. In his last four games, Rask only allowed three past him.

Sounds like playoff goaltending, eh?

The Senators have no pair of slouches in their 24 square feet. Look for Craig Anderson to carry the load with Belmont native Mike Condon in the backup role. Anderson went 25-11-0-4 with a goals against average of 2.35; Condon at 19-11-0-6 and a 2.48. Anderson is 12-14-3 in his playoff career.

Which pair would you take? Drop the puck.

Playoff Poll: Who wins Bruins-Senators series and in how many games?

— Bruins Daily (@BruinsDaily) April 11, 2017