Bruins at Maple Leafs
The Boston Bruins are putting a stronger emphasis on defense and look to again put the clamps on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre on Monday in the second contest of a home-and-home Atlantic Division series. Boston has won three of its last four games following a 2-0 victory over Toronto on Saturday.
"That’s something we can certainly build on, understanding that if we’re stingy, we’re going to get that much better of a chance to win,” Bruins coach Claude Julien told reporters. Seven points separate second-place Ottawa and last-place Toronto in what is shaping up to be a competitive Atlantic in which points will be at a premium. "It’s early in the season and everybody wants to win and we need to stay focused and it’s pretty much right away when you win a game, you’ve got to focus on the next one,” Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara told reporters after scoring with 3:43 left to break a scoreless tie Saturday. “Little things make a difference in a game.” Since losing 12 of its first 14 games (2-8-4), Toronto has won five of its last seven contests as it begins a three-game homestand.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), TVAS, TSN4 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE BRUINS (10-8-1): Patrice Bergeron (seven goals, 19 points) is riding a seven-game point streak and has three goals and five assists during that span. The center is also the top producer on the NHL's best power-play unit (33.9 percent) with five goals and seven assists. Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask (6-7-1, 2.95 goals against average, .896 save percentage) is expected to get the call after recording his second shutout of the season Saturday as he tries to allow fewer than three goals in back-to-back games for only the second time this season.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (7-10-4): Toronto is near the bottom of the NHL in scoring at 2.19 goals per game, although it has picked up the pace a bit of late with 13 in its last five contests. The Maple Leafs need more production from Nazem Kadri, who has only two goals (eight points) despite entering Sunday fourth in the league with 84 shots on goal, but coach Mike Babcock loves the play of his center. "This is my two cents on Naz: He's been, in my opinion, the best forward on our team," Babcock told FOX Sports. "He competes every night, he's in on all the chances, he generates a ton. He's a way better player than I expected."
OVERTIME
1. Bruins RW Loui Eriksson (team-high nine goals, 18 points) and LW Brad Marchand (eight goals, 14 points) each have four-game point streaks.
2. LW James van Riemsdyk and RW Joffrey Lupul lead Toronto with seven goals apiece.
3. Boston has the worst penalty-killing unit in the NHL at 72.5 percent.