Bruins at Maple Leafs
THE STORY: Wednesday features a battle for Northeast Division supremacy as the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs do battle at the Air Canada Centre. The first two head-to-head meetings were one-sided affairs, with the Bruins outscoring the Maple Leafs 13-2 in a pair of victories. The second triumph was part of a 10-game winning streak that helped the defending champions completely eliminate any talk of a Stanley Cup hangover. The Bruins have points in 12 straight games (11-0-1) and haven't given up more than three goals in any of them. They'll face a stiff test against a Toronto team that has scored 15 times during a three-game winning streak. The Leafs' power play has been one of the best in the league so far this month, having struck in seven straight games and eight out of nine. They'll be matched up against a Boston penalty killing unit ranked seventh in the NHL. Wednesday marks the first of a home-and-home series, with the teams facing off again Saturday in Boston.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NESN, TSN.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (14-7-1): A favorable schedule has had a hand in Boston's early-season success, with the club playing 15 of its first 22 games at home. That's about to change, with Wednesday kicking off a stretch that will see the Bruins play nine of their next 14 contests away from Boston. They've fared well on the road so far this season, going 5-2-0. Second-year forward and team scoring leader Tyler Seguin has six goals and three assists in Boston's seven road games. He had a hat trick against Toronto last time out.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (14-8-2): James Reimer is nearing his long-awaited return. The Maple Leafs netminder is expected to the backup to Jonas Gustavsson when the clubs face off Saturday in Boston. Reimer hasn't played since suffering a concussion last month. His return will send Gustavsson back to the bench, and current backup Ben Scrivens to the team's American Hockey League affiliate. Reimer was 4-0-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average prior to the injury.
OVERTIME:
1. Toronto forward Phil Kessel leads the NHL in scoring - and he's the top guy in the All-Star fan balloting, as well. Kessel was the final selection in last year's mid-season showcase.
2. Seguin has five goals and three assists in eight games against the Maple Leafs.
3. Toronto had won three straight meetings prior to Boston's consecutive routs earlier this season.