Game Preview: Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs 2/1/23

The Boston Bruins have a golden opportunity in front of them this evening when they play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. As the top two teams in the Atlantic Division clash again, the B’s are currently stuck in a rut, losers of three straight. However, there would be no better way to get back on track than beating one of your closest rivals on their home ice.

Tonight’s Bruins Game Notes

Since the last time these Original Six teams met two weeks ago on a Saturday night, the B’s went on a six-game winning streak. After a gutsy win against the Maple Leafs (4-3), they knocked off the Philadelphia Flyers, the New York Islanders, the New York Rangers, the San Jose Sharks, and the Montreal Canadiens. However, they dropped their next three contests.

The team eventually faced adversity on their recent road trip with one-goal losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers before a sluggish performance against the Carolina Hurricanes this past Sunday. Tonight is the last game for both teams before the All-Star Break, with the skills competition on Friday and the game on Saturday.

According to lineups posted this morning on DailyFaceoff.com, head coach Jim Montgomery has decided that the Taylor Hall experiment on the top line is over, reuniting The Perfection Line (David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand) as the team’s number one unit.

Since tonight is a huge game, not only to snap out of a funk but because there are valuable points to have in the standings, it makes sense to revert to a formula that has yielded successful results in the past. Currently, the Maple Leafs are only nine points behind the Bruins and beat the club the last time they were in town, 2-1, way back in early November.

Moreover, the top line has gone quiet recently since Jake DeBrusk is sidelined with an injury. In their last five games, Bergeron has just two points, and Marchand has three. Adding Pastrnak to the group makes a lot of sense since he’s been on fire as of late, with eight points in his last five games.

Coming into the game, the Bruins are the league’s third-best road team, 19-3-2, while the Maple Leafs are the second-best home team with a 20-4-4 record. Both teams last played on Sunday, with a B’s loss in Carolina, 4-1, while the Maple Leafs hosted and defeated the Washington Capitals, 5-1. Coincidentally, both teams are 6-3-1 in their last ten games.

Bruins & Maple Leafs Players to Watch

The last time these two teams met, the Bruins got goals from A.J. Greer, Bergeron, Pastrnak, and the game-winner from Matt Grzelcyk. As if anyone needed a reminder, Pastrnak loves to play the Maple Leafs with 16 goals and 27 points in 22 contests, while Marchand is a point-per-game player against the club, with 18 goals and 47 points in 47 games. Additionally, Bergeron has 25 goals and 67 points, the second most against any franchise during his career.

It will be intriguing to see how the band plays now that they are back together. Furthermore, for the Bruins to succeed in the regular season and the playoffs, they must have their top players performing at their best. Ultimately, these three are the leaders on and off the ice, and if the team wants to end the losing streak, it will require a full game’s effort from the trio.

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Conversely, the Maple Leafs got goals in that game from Auston Matthews, Pierre Engvall, and Michael Bunting. Although Matthews is now sidelined with an injury, causing him to miss the All-Star Game, the team’s offense still runs through Mitch Marner and William Nylander, each with a respectable 59 points through 51 games.

It is no surprise to see Marner’s name in any discussion regarding the team’s success this season, with an unbelievable point streak (23 games) on his resume. However, Nylander has finally stepped out of the shadow of Matthews and Marner to piece together his best season with 28 goals, just six tallies away from his career high of 34 last year. Additionally, he’s only 21 away from setting a new record in that category, which shouldn’t be a problem since he’s currently producing 1.15 points per game, another personal best.

Bruins & Maple Leafs’ Historical Notes

Tonight, the Bruins and Maple Leafs will face off for the 683rd time in the regular season, an opportunity for the B’s to improve upon their 302-269-98-13 record against their Canadian rivals. Despite a slight lead in the matchup, Boston trails on the scoreboard, 2031-2017.

After spending decades compiling a losing record at Maple Leaf Garden, the Bruins have turned their fortunes around in Scotiabank Arena with a 28-20-2-8 record through 58 contests. Unfortunately, Boston has lost their last three visits to the city and are just 2-8 in their previous ten games at the rink, dating back to 2017.

Who’s Next for the Boston Bruins

After tonight’s contest, the Bruins will split up for a mini-break. All-Stars Pastrnak and Linus Ullmark will head back to Florida for the weekend, while the rest of the team will relax before regrouping for the stretch run. Their next game is Saturday, February 11, at TD Garden against the Capitals, finishing the month with nine games in 17 days.