This will be the second meeting of the season between these two Atlantic division rivals. In the last meeting between the clubs in October, the Maple Leafs walked away with a 4-1 victory. Toronto’s offense netted three first-period goals to help propel them to the win.
This could turn into a battle of young stars for both clubs. David Pastrnak will try to add to his NHL-leading 18 goals, while Auston Matthews will attempt to match Pastrnak’s dominance. Toronto has only been able to record two wins on the road this season, so this should be a good matchup for the Bruins at the TD Garden.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins
TD Garden-7:00 p.m. E.S.T
Broadcast Channels-NHL Network, CBC, NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
2016-17 Season Series: Maple Leafs Lead 1-0
Toronto Maple Leafs-10-10-5- 25 Points
Road Record: 2-6-5
Hot Players: James van Riemsdyk, Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner
Key Injuries: Joffrey Lupul
Projected Lines:
Forwards
Leo Komarov-Nazem Kadri-William Nylander
James van Riemsdyk-Tyler Bozak-Mitchell Marner
Zach Hyman-Auston Matthews-Connor Brown
Matt Martin-Ben Smith-Nikita Soshnikov
Defense
Morgan Rielly-Nikita Zaitsev
Jake Gardiner-Connor Carrick
Matt Hunwick-Roman Polak
Goaltender
Frederick Andersen
[irp]
Boston Bruins-15-11-2-32 Points
Home Record: 7-6-0
Hot Players: David Pastrnak, Tuukka Rask
Key Injuries: Matt Beleskey, John-Michael Liles, Frank Vatrano
Projected Lines:
Forwards
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak
Tim Schaller-David Krejci-David Backes
Ryan Spooner-Riley Nash-Austin Czarnik
Anton Blidh-Dominic Moore-Jimmy Hayes
Defense
Zdeno Chara-Brandon Carlo
Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid
Kevan Miller-Colin Miller
Goaltender
Tuukka Rask
Game Notes
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]1)[/miptheme_dropcap] Both teams have identical a 4-4-2 records in their last 10 games. That will change after tonight’s game.
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]2)[/miptheme_dropcap] The Maple Leafs were able to beat the Bruins in October, but since then they have struggled to secure wins, especially on the road.
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]3)[/miptheme_dropcap] David Pastrnak leads the NHL in goals with 18 and is coming off a two-goal performance in his last game.
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]4)[/miptheme_dropcap] The Bruins lead the all-time series against the Maple Leafs with a record of 295-259-98-11.
[miptheme_dropcap style=”normal” color=”#222222″ background=””]5)[/miptheme_dropcap] The Bruins are currently sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division, while Toronto sits in last place.
[irp]
The Bruins saw their six-game point streak come to an end Thursday night, so they will be looking to get back on track against the last place Maple Leafs. Tuukka Rask will get the start in goal to try and shut down the high-scoring offense of the Leafs. Despite their lopsided records, these two rivals always play each other hard, and this game should be no different.
Anthony Pagliarulo is a Boston Bruins contributor for The Hockey Writers. He is a Massachusetts native and a Worcester State University alumni. You can follow Anthony on Twitter @APags87.
