In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll look at how skaters and goaltenders have performed against particular teams in 2021. This season presents a unique dynamic as teams have to face the same opponents more frequently than they have in years past. So, while a small sample size may have prevented this data from being relevant before, it may hold slightly more weight now. This will be the first of two parts and we'll discuss players from Boston to New Jersey, with next week including players from New York to Washington. Without further ado, here are some interesting notes about player performances against specific teams this year:

Boston Bruins

Jaroslav Halak – the 35-year-old netminder has posted impressive numbers against most teams in the East Division, but he seems to struggle against Pittsburgh and New York. He has a 3.01 GAA and .871 save percentage through three games against the Penguins and a 4.36 GAA and .859 save percentage in three games against the Islanders.

Brad Marchand – has scored at a point-per-game pace or better against each team in the division excluding the Islanders, against whom he has three points in five outings. Boston's offense has been quiet against New York on the whole, with the Bruins scoring just eight goals through five games against the Isles.

David Pastrnak – The Czech sniper has enjoyed success when facing the Flyers, tallying two hat tricks in four games against Philadelphia. In other words, six of his 16 goals (37.5-percent) so far were scored against the Flyers.

Buffalo Sabres

Rasmus Dahlin – The 20-year-old defenseman has struggled this season, posting 13 points through 37 outings. Despite his overall struggles, he's registered a point in five of six games against the Devils.

Sam Reinhart – has found the scoresheet against every team in the division except for Pittsburgh. He has failed to register a point after four matchups with the Penguins. It's worth noting that all four of those games were played without Jack Eichel in the lineup.

Carolina Hurricanes

Vincent Trocheck – has scored at least a point per game against each team in the division excluding the Lightning, against whom he has just one point in five games.

Nino Niederreiter – The Swiss winger has bounced back from a poor showing last year, posting 23 points in 37 games so far this season. He's been particularly successful when playing the Blackhawks and Red Wings, posting six points in five games against Chicago and five points through five games against Detroit.

Martin Necas – With seven points in six games against Tampa, Necas is the only Hurricane that holds at least a point-per-game pace against the Lightning. While Carolina's offense has dominated most teams in the division, they've had the most trouble scoring on Tampa – averaging just two goals per game.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Cam Atkinson – The 31-year-old winger has 25 points through 40 appearances this season. Nine of those points were scored in six games against the Blackhawks.

Seth Jones – The Blue Jackets defenseman has thrived offensively against Carolina this season. He has 20 points on the season – eight of which were scored through seven games against the Hurricanes.

Zach Werenski – Nashville is the only team in the Central Division that Werenski hasn't found the scoresheet against. He remains pointless through four clashes with the Predators. Among their divisional opponents, Columbus has had the most difficulty scoring against Nashville, posting 1.67 goals per game through their four matchups.

Oliver Bjorkstrand – While discussing Werenski, I highlighted the Blue Jackets' lack of scoring success against the Preds. Bjorkstrand's production falls in line with that trend as he has just one point through six games against Nashville – which represents a rate of 0.16 points per game. To give you some perspective, he's scored at least 0.67 points per game against every other team in the division.

Elvis Merzlikins – The Blue Jackets netminder is putting together a solid sophomore season but has struggled against one team in particular. He holds a save percentage above .908 against every team in the division except for the Panthers, against whom he's posted a 3.58 GAA and .891 save percentage through three appearances. Surprisingly, his best performances have come when facing Tampa. He has a 2.04 GAA and .942 save percentage in three games against the Lightning.

Detroit Red Wings

Anthony Mantha – The big winger has struggled to produce against the Blackhawks this year. Detroit and Chicago have matched up six times and Mantha hasn't found the scoresheet in any of those games. Mantha's overall production this season has been disappointing, but he's scored at a point-per-game pace against both the Blue Jackets and Lightning.

Dylan Larkin – Detroit's captain has registered at least a point against every team in the division except for the Preds. He is pointless through six matchups with Nashville this season.  

Florida Panthers

Sergei Bobrovsky – As we break down Bob's performance against each team in the division, I'd say most of the results fall in line with what you'd expect based on opponent quality. He's posted his best numbers (3-1-0, 1.50 GAA & .951 SV%) against the offensively challenged Red Wings and his worst numbers (1-2-0, 4.06 GAA & .833 SV%) against the powerhouse Lightning. It is surprising that he has a 3.47 GAA and .895 save percentage through four games against the Predators, who have been weak offensively for most of the season.

Keith Yandle – The 34-year-old defenseman has benefitted from playing against Detroit this year, posting seven points in eight clashes with the Red Wings. That leaves him with 14 points in 31 games against the other six teams in the Central Division.

MacKenzie Weegar – He's been an underrated source of offense for the Panthers, posting 23 points through 39 outings this year. Notably, eight of those points came in six games against the Blue Jackets – leaving him with 15 points in 33 games against the rest of the division.

Montreal Canadiens

Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Montreal's offense came alive against Vancouver this year as the Habs scored 4.44 goals a night in their nine-game series with the Canucks. Kotkaniemi tallied eight points against Vancouver, leaving him with nine points in 26 games against other teams in the division. The Canadiens don't have any more games against Vancouver this season, so Kotkaniemi will have to find ways to produce against more formidable foes.

Nick Suzuki – Like many of his teammates, Suzuki's offensive numbers are bolstered by a strong showing in the season series against Vancouver, where he tallied nine points in nine games. That leaves the sophomore center with 14 points in 26 games against the rest of the North division.

Tyler Toffoli – Finally, we get to the inspiration for this article: Tyler Toffoli and his outlandish production against the Canucks. 13 of his 28 points this season have come from eight games against Vancouver. 

New Jersey Devils

P.K. Subban – The 31-year-old defenseman has made the most of New Jersey's matchups with the struggling Sabres, posting five points in six games against Buffalo. That leaves Subban with 10 points in 30 games against the rest of the division.

Pavel Zacha – Like Subban, Zacha's production is bolstered by strong performances against the Sabres this year. He has seven points through six battles with Buffalo. I don't think past success against the Sabres necessarily translates to future success, especially now that Linus Ullmark is healthy and providing much better goaltending for Buffalo.

Kyle Palmieri – The 30-year-old winger has five goals in six games against the Bruins this year. That leaves him with three goals in 28 games against the rest of the East Division. That may not be relevant in a few weeks as reports indicate he's on the block and could be moved to a new division as the trade deadline approaches.

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Last week on Eastern Edge: Hot and cold streaks for March