Final, Maple Leafs 5-2: The Bruins close out a disappointing road trip with a loss to the Leafs.
Boston was never in this one as the Bruins were thoroughly outplayed in just about every aspect of the game by Toronto.
Boston was just 1-2-1 on this four-game trip and have just one win in their last seven games. They'll try to turn things around back at home when they host New Jersey on Tuesday.
Third Period, 19:40, Maple Leafs 5-2: The Bruins at least make it look a little closer on the scoreboard as Daniel Paille bangs one in from the top of the crease. Shawn Thornton and Greg Campbell pick up the assists.
Third Period, 15:55, Maple Leafs 5-1: The Bruins kill that penalty, but it comes at a cost as Zdeno Chara skated off in pain early in the kill after blocking a Mikhail Grabovski shot. The Toronto fans show their lack of class by cheering the injury.
Third Period, 13:55, Maple Leafs 5-1: Now a Bruin heads to the box alone, as Mark Recchi is called for hooking and Toronto goes on its second power play of the night.
Third Period, 11:45, Maple Leafs 5-1: Nathan Horton and Dion Phaneuf finally renew their battle. Horton clearly wants it, dropping his gloves and shedding the helmet. Phaneuf finally accepts the challenge, but won't take off his helmet even though he is the only one of the two wearing a protective visor. Not much landed either way in a quick but spirited scrap.
Third Period, 7:42, Maple Leafs 5-1: Nothing doing on that power play for the Bruins again, who fail to convert on the man-advantage again.
Third Period, 5:42, Maple Leafs 5-1: Mike Brown makes a bid for a second goal on the night with a drive down the right wing, but he crashes into Thomas and is called for goalie interference. The Bruins get their second power-play chance of the game.
Third Period, 2:39, Maple Leafs 5-1: Tyler Seguin is robbed again, this time at the left post as Reimer gets the pad over to stop the quick shot from point-blank range after Rich Peverley makes a steal and feeds it over to Seguin.
Third Period, 0:00, Maple Leafs 5-1: The final period is under way, and Thomas is back in goal for the Bruins.
Second Intermission Notes: That was about as bad a period as the Bruins have played this season, and Toronto took full advantage to take a commanding 5-1 lead.
Tim Thomas got the hook after allowing four goals on 14 shots, but he should have plenty of company in Claude Julien's doghouse. Every Bruin is a minus in this game except David Krejci and Johnny Boychuk, who are both even. Andrew Ference is a team-worst minus-3 in 9:33 in his return to the lineup.
The Bruins still haven't found any solutions to their power-play woes, failing to convert their lone chance so far at a point when a power-play goal could have made a difference before this one got out of hand. The Bruins have been charged with nine giveaways so far, and the Leafs have been regularly driving into the Boston zone on odd-man rushes as it's been a complete no-show for the Bruins defense. that includes Tomas Kaberle, who let Mike Brown fly by him for Toronto's fourth goal.
That was just Brown's third goal of the year, while Luke Schenn scored his fourth, Nazem Kadri his first, Joey Crabb his third and Keith Aulie his second. The five players who have scored for Toronto came into the night with eight goals between them this year.
End Second Period, Maple Leafs 5-1: The middle frame comes to a merciful close, but not before Toronto breaks this one open with three more goals to take a commanding four-goal lead into the third period.
Second Period, 17:23, Maple Leafs 5-1: The Leafs add another as Keith Aulie fires one past Rask through a screen in front.
Dennis Seidenberg was the one blocking Rask's view, but neither Bruin blocked the puck as Toronto extends the lead to four goals.
Second Period, 15:37, Maple Leafs 4-1: Chris Kelly with a chance on a rebound at the left post, but he can't pull the trigger and ends up going behind the net and never gets a shot off.
Second Period, 12:58, Maple Leafs 4-1: Rask keeps this from getting even uglier, as he robs Lupul at the right post off a feed from Kessel as the Leafs break in on a 2-on-1.
Second Period, 8:18, Maple Leafs 4-1: The Leafs add another, with Mike Brown scoring to drive Thomas from the game.
Brown beat Kaberle down the right side and fired in a shot from the circle. Tuukka Rask has now come on to replace Thomas in the Boston net.
Second Period, 7:49, Maple Leafs 3-1: The Leafs extend their lead as they crash the net and Joey Crabb bangs in a rebound in front after Kadri initially threw the puck in on net.
Ference was on the ice and caught out of position to begin that chance. he's now minus-3 on the night.
Second Period, 5:19, Maple Leafs 2-1: The Bruins still can't get any production out of the power play, but that effort did at least produce some chances with four shots on net. The Bruins will at least try to take some momentum out of that effort.
Second Period, 3:19, Maple Leafs 2-1: The Bruins get their first chance on the power play in this one as Tim Brent is sent off for delay of game for clearing the puck into the stands.
Second Period, 2:26, Maple Leafs 2-1: Tyler Seguin nearly ties it as he swoops in alone on a clean breakaway, but Reimer denies Seguin's backhand bid.
That chance came after a series of spectacular saves by Thomas at the other end to keep it a one-goal game.
First Intermission Notes: The Bruins didn't quite get the start they were looking for. They have an 11-9 edge in shots, but Toronto has had way too many quality chances early and cashed in twice for a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Toronto holds a slight 11-8 advantage in hits, but Nathan Horton led all players with four hits. Dion Phaneuf led the Leafs with three, and most of those hits from those two were on each other as they continue the feud begun earlier this season in Boston, where they dropped the gloves on Oct. 28 and Horton picked up a misconduct for an extra shot after they were down.
Tyler Seguin has also been credited with two hits, the first multi-hit game of his career. He had just 12 hits all season and just three in his last 31 games. Adam McQuaid is usually the one doing the hitting, but he has the only goal and three shots so far in this one.
Tough start for Andrew Ference in his return from a lower-body injury. He's a minus-2 in 3:59, as Toronto has scored twice on his first six shifts.
End First Period, Maple Leafs 2-1: Plenty of exciting action, but not the start the Bruins wanted as they head into the first intermission down a goal in Toronto.
First Period, 16:36, Maple Leafs 2-1: Nathan Horton and Dion Phaneuf having a nice running battle exchanging hits in the Toronto zone. Those two dropped the gloves for a scrap against each other earlier this season in Boston.
First Period, 12:26, Maple Leafs 2-1: And the Leafs answer right back themselves with Nazem Kadri scoring his first career goal with a point shot that deflected off a body in front and past Thomas.
First Period, 11:46, 1-1: The Bruins answer right back with Adam McQuaid making a great individual effort of his own for the goal.
McQuaid followed his own miss from the right side with a rebound down low that he threw out front and the puck deflected in.
First Period, 9:44, Maple Leafs 1-0: The Leafs strike first as defenseman Luke Schenn goes end to end on a rush to beat Thomas.
Schenn came down the left side, drove to the net and popped one up and over Thomas. While that was happening, Milan Lucic was challenging Keith Aulie to go after Aulie put a hit on Nathan Horton, but Aulie wouldn't drop the gloves.
First Period, 8:41, 0-0: The Bruins successfully kill off that penalty, though Toronto did have some dangerous chances.
First Period, 6:41, 0-0: The Bruins now will have to kill off the first penalty of the night as Michael Ryder is sent off for delay of game after chipping the puck out of play over the glass.
First Period, 6:14, 0-0: The Leafs with their first big threat of the night as the Kessel line creates a chance, but Thomas stones Joffrey Lupul from in close at the top of the crease.
First Period, 3:41, 0-0: Patrice Bergeron trips over Thomas at the side of the net, but still manages to get a stick out to block a shot in front.
First Period, 3:20, 0-0: Add Toronto to the list of towns booing Zdeno Chara every time he touches the puck. The fans did give former Leaf Tomas Kaberle a nice hand when he was introduced though.
First Period, 0:00, 0-0: This one is under way in Toronto, where the Bruins are looking to close out their road trip in style and extend their lead in the Northeast Division.
7 p.m.: In a classy move, Tomas Kaberle gets the start on defense for the bruins in his return to Toronto. He's paired with Dennis Seidenberg, with Mark Recchi, Patrice Bergeron and Michael Ryder up front and Tim Thomas in goal.
Toronto counters with Phil Kessel up front alongside Joffrey Lupul and Tyler Bozak, with Dion Phaneuf and Keith Aulie on the blue line and James Reimer in net.
6:45 p.m.: Andrew Ference is back in the lineup after missing nine games with a lower-body injury. Steven Kampfer is the scratch on defense, while Brad Marchand remains out up front as he sits out the final game of his two-game suspension.
No surprises in the Toronto scratches, with Colby Armstrong (foot) and Mike Komisarek (lower body) out hurt and Jay Rosehill the healthy scratch. Goalie Jonas Gustavsson is also out as Toronto is currently carrying three netminders. James Reimer is starting and J-S Giguere is dressed as the backup.
Tim Thomas gets the start in goal for Boston as expected.
6:30 p.m.: There's plenty at stake for both teams in this one.
The Bruins have a three-point lead on Montreal in the Northeast Division with two games in hand. This is one of those games in hand, as the Habs are off Saturday after falling to the Rangers 6-3 on Friday.
The Leafs are still alive for the final playoff spot, but just barely. They have 72 points in 72 games, trailing eighth-place Buffalo (76 points in 70 games), Carolina (76 points in 72 games) and Atlanta (72 points in 71 games). Atlanta plays at Buffalo on Saturday, while Carolina is off.
While still in the playoff race, Toronto also has the seventh-worst record in the NHL. That's equally important to the Bruins, who own the Leafs' first-round pick from the Phil Kessel trade and would love to get another lottery pick out of the deal. A win in this one would help that cause as well as strengthening Boston's hold on the division lead.
6 p.m.: The Bruins are getting set to wrap up a four-game road trip that thus far has been less than spectacular with losses to the Islanders and Predators sandwiched around a shootout win in Columbus.
But they can salvage a decent trip and earn five of a possible eight points with a win in Toronto.
Tim Thomas was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, indicating he will likely get the start after Tuukka Rask played the last two games in Columbus and Nashville. Andrew Ference could also return after missing nine games with a lower-body injury. He'll skate in warm-ups and be a game-time decision. If Ference plays, Steven Kampfer will likely be the scratch after struggling in Thursday's loss in Nashville.
8 a.m.: The Bruins will close out their final multi-game road trip of the season with a stop in Toronto on Saturday.
It will be an emotional game for defenseman Tomas Kaberle, who returns to Toronto for the first time since being dealt from the Leafs to Boston last month. Kaberle played the first 11-plus seasons of his NHL career in Toronto, posting 83-437-520 totals in 878 games in blue and white.
He still leads the Leafs in assists with 35 this season, but hasn't been as productive in his first 12 games with the Bruins. Kaberle has no goals and just three assists with Boston, and just one of those assists has come on the power play. That was an area Kaberle, who had 22 power-play assists with Toronto, was supposed to improve in Boston, but the Bruins are just 2 of 32 on the man-advantage in the 12 games since his arrival.
While Kaberle faces his former team for the first time, it will be the 11th meeting between ex-Bruin Phil Kessel and Boston. Kessel was kept in check in the first nine meetings, as he failed to score a single goal and managed just one assist. But Kessel broke through in the last meeting, scoring a pair of goals in Toronto's 4-3 win at the Garden on Feb. 15.
That ended a 14-game goal drought for Kessel, who then scored eight goals over eight games starting with that night in Boston. But that hot streak faded just as quickly, with Kessel managing just one goal in his last eight games. He still has 28-25-53 totals in 72 games overall this season, albeit with a minus-21 rating to go with it.
Toronto, which hasn't appeared in the postseason in seven years, has managed to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but just barely. The Leafs sit in 11th place in the East with 72 points. That's just four points out of eighth, but they have three teams to pass and have already played two more games than eighth-place Buffalo. Toronto is just 2-4-1 in their last seven games, with a 4-0 loss to Florida on Thursday a big blow to their slim playoff hopes.
The Bruins are in a slide of their own with just one win in their last six games, and they needed a shootout in Columbus on Tuesday to get that victory. They did earn single points with overtime losses to Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Nashville in that stretch, but they still saw their lead in the Northeast Division trimmed to three points over Montreal after Thursday's setback in Nashville.
The puck drops at 7 p.m., so check back here throughout the day for updates on all the action.
