SB Nation - Phil Kessel

Bruins down Leafs 5-2

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:07:30 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Boston Bruins' David Krejci pokes the puck past Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala for a goal during the second period of their NHL hockey game in Boston, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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The Bruins were able to shutdown Phil Kessel and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs on home ice for the second time in the last 6 nights. For the second straight game against his former team, Phil Kessel was a complete non-factor. In 18:29 of ice time, Kessel recorded 2 shots on goal and 17,565 boos.

Mark Stuart's second goal of the season at 8:01 of the first period staked the Bruins to a 1-0 lead. Patrice Bergeron won the draw at the left wing circle to Marco Sturm. Sturm directed the puck back to Johnny Boychuck, who slid the puck to his defense partner Stuart out near the blue line in the (extremely) high slot. Stuart fired a slapper that beat Vesa Toskala five hole for his first goal since October 17th.

Derek Morris' power play goal with Ian White off for holding gave the B's a 2-0 lead 35 seconds into the second period. Morris' drive from the right point found it's way through several bodies in front of the net and past Toskala for the 2-goal lead.

After scoring the early goal, Mark Stuart looked like he really wanted the Gordie Howe Hat Trick tonight. He and Jamal Mayers dropped the gloves at 2:07 of the second period and were each given two minutes for roughing after a brief dust up. Not satisfied with their short scrap, both men exited the box and dropped the gloves again. This time they made it count, earning the full 5 minutes each.

David Krejci made it 3-0 with 8:50 left in the middle period when we broke in all alone on Toskala and tucked the puck in the net.

Mikhail Grabovski pulled the Leafs to within two 18 seconds into the third period when he found the puck lying in the slot and put it past Tuukka Rask for the Leafs' first goal of the night.

The Leafs struck again to make it 3-2 less than 4 minutes later when Mike Komisarek made a beautiful cross-ice pass from the right point to find Nikolai Kulemin driving to the net along the goal line on the left wing side of the ice.

Mark Recchi sealed the victory for the Bruins (and got a double fist pump from Cam Neely) on the power play with 2:37 remaining in third period. Blake Wheeler sent a pass from the right circle to Recchi at the doorstep for the 4-2 lead.

Recchi padded his stats with an empty-netter in the final minute to account for the 5-2 final score.

Final - 12.10.2009	1	2	3	Total
Toronto Maple Leafs	0	0	2	2
Boston Bruins	1	2	2	5

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- Tuukka Rask made 32 saves

- The Bruins were completely out-played for much of the third period but were able to survive, thanks in large part to Jason Blake's high-sticking penalty at 15:59 of the period.

- Matt Hunwick skated as a forward in place of Byron Bitz ("under the weather"). Hunwick skated on the left wing tonight alongside Steve Begin and Shawn Thornton on the fourth line. He finished the game a +1 with 2 shots and 2 hits in 10:34 of ice time (all even strength).

- In just 10:58 of ice time tonight, Steve Begin recorded more hits (8) than Phil Kessel did in 70 games last season (6).

- In rare occurrence this year, the Bruins lost the face-off battle tonight 27-22.

- The B's have out-scored the Leafs 12-4 in the last two games.

- The Bruins are back in game action on Saturday night when they face the Islanders in Uniondale, NY.

Leafs at Bruins: Rivalry? Sorry, no.

Chemmy — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:23 -0000

More photos » by CHRIS YOUNG - AP

3 days ago: Toronto Maple Leafs' Alexei Ponikarovsky, center left, celebrates scoring a goal against Atlanta Thrashers with teammates, from left, Matt Strajan Tomas Kaberle and Phil Kessel during period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Chris Young)

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Puck Drop: 7PM Leafs TV

I got an email yesterday from a Bruins blogger asking if I'd contribute my thoughts on the Bruins - Leafs rivalry. My thoughts basically boil down to: what rivalry?

Are we supposed to be rivals because of the Phil Kessel deal? According to the Boston media Kessel is a player who didn't fit the Bruins system. He's lazy, he only scores with Marc Savard around, he fades down the stretch, he doesn't play physically or back check.

Boston didn't want him anymore. They could have actually negotiated with Milan Lucic instead of handing him a blank check and kept Kessel, Savard, David Krejci and Lucic. Boston didn't do that, so they moved him. As far as moving him goes Kessel didn't get offer sheeted, he got traded. Boston gets two firsts for a player they claim to not want, and we're pretty happy to have Kessel. Where's the drama? Where's the beef?

The obvious answer is that despite their assertions Bruins fans wanted Kessel. They're mad that he spurned their city and they're also rooting against Toronto for the pragmatic reason of hoping those two first rounders are really good picks which makes sense.

That doesn't make a rivalry though. Think about our division: Toronto, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston. I'm pretty sure no one here would root for Buffalo, Montreal or Ottawa under any circumstances. Boston? Eh, we don't like them because they're in our division but I'd rather see them win than Montreal.

Rivalries are built in the playoffs. The Battle of Ontario made us change our stance on the Senators from "dimwitted cousin" to "ancient enemy". We all hate Philly because of 2004 and Detroit because of our battles in the Norris division. Boston doesn't register.

Tonight the Leafs head back into Boston to avenge their piss poor outing on Saturday night. With a 7-2-1 record over their past ten the sky won't fall if the Leafs lose to a team picked to win the East handily but like any night we'd like to see Toronto win. That still doesn't make this a rivalry. Maybe three years from now Boston and Toronto will meet in the postseason, but until then it's just not happening on our end.

Leafs Win, Isles Lose and My Dad is Taller Than Yours

blurr1974 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:29:56 -0000

Oh, he's serious.

Well that was fun, and sticks with what appears to be the Leafs recent penchant for lose one, win two. That means tonight's game against Boston should be a...oh. Crap. Maybe we should give this guy's dad a call and put him in the line up. Seriously, he's like...well, you can read it, can't you?

There's not much else that puts me in a better mood than when the Leafs win. Mainly because the Barilkosphere buzzes to life and fantastic posts of hope and possibilities flow through the intertubes and into my laptop. I still contend that the best part about being a Leafs fan is the fans. We can disagree on a multitude of issues, including ones pertinent to the Leafs. However, when the team wins, well it's just icing on the cake...

Our very own WAC knows a thing or two about starting and ending your day right. Take two looks at each of these before you eat, and two more before you got bed. You'll feel better for it. I promise.
Shocking I know, but even eyebleaf can get down. More shocking is how Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala can cheer him up. Since he's feeling positive, you know he's only thinking one thing. No not, that you pervert. Well, ok, probably that as well, but in addition to PLAYOFFS!!!1
The general has been watching the Leafs slowly crawl their way back to respectability. In the process, he's noticed a few players stepping up and making an impact. Also, he's been conspicuously absent lately so maybe you should go over to his blog and ask what's up with that...?
Hungry Leafs Fan is having two times the funn at Leafs games. Especially since they finally won one with him in attendance.
The Battle of Ontario's Five-O puts together two statements that in previous days would have seemed incongruent.
Leafs Fan Forever likes surprises.
Newcomer to MLHS, Derek Harmsworth shines an ever widening spotlight on the better players for the Leafs last night.
TSM finds it interesting that the MSM seems to think Burke will resign all the team's pending UFAs and RFAs thanks to the recent improvement in play. It's curious because Burke didn't jump the gun when things were down. Why would he do that now?
Norman James has Nazem Kadri coming to his radio program "Da Hook" on Friday night. I thought we might want to mark that in our calendars...
Terry Sawchuk is not just a footnote in Martin Brodeur's assault on the record books, he's an icon in his own right. SBN's own Copper & Blue introduces you to "Uke."
As I've recently discovered, Pennsylvanians are a rough and tumble bunch. MYFO has the proof, on video.

UPDATES

Jared recaps the win. Click. Click. BOOM.
The Other Vatican shows how when Phil Kessel was benched by Boston in the playoffs, he responded well when finally getting the chance to play. So, how will he respond to the Bruins tonight?
How can Mikhail Grabovski have continued success at the NHL level? Vintage Leaf Memories thinks it knows the answer.
And one more for good measure. Yours truly was contacted by NESN to talk about tonight's upcoming match against the Bruins. Can you spot the diss?

*This post was published live at 1:30 AM Pacific. I can't sleep, but I'll make another attempt soonnzndfzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Bruins and Maple Leafs ready for "Kessel-Mania II"

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:57:50 -0000

More photos » by CHRIS YOUNG - AP

After demanding to be traded by the Leafs after just 18 games with the team, Phil Kessel was traded to a local youth team. Kessel is seen here working out with his new teammates. "I never demanded to be traded, but I am excited about the move. The league doesn't allow checking, so I don't have to worry about getting hurt. I also think that it will give me more ice to work with. Excuse me, Johnny's mom is here to pick us up. Talk to you guys later."

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The Boston media had hyped up Phil Kessel's return to The Hub of Hockey on Saturday night like a pay-per-view event and even dubbed it "Kessel-Mania". It turns out the game wasn't exactly an epic matchup, as it looked more like Tyson-McNeely than "The Rumble in the Jungle". The Bruins completely shutting down #81 en route to an easy 7-2 victory. The Bruins have been off since Saturday night's 7-2 romp. Meanwhile, the Leafs didn't have much time to dwell on the loss as they traveled back to Toronto for 2 games (Thrashers and Islanders). The B's and Leafs will square off Thursday in a re-match of Saturday night's laugher.

Notes:

- Since the Bruins just played the Maple Leafs a few days ago (and because the Leafs played tonight and I don't feel like waiting until that game is over), I am not going to do the usual full preview.

- The Leafs held an outdoor practice on Tuesday.

- Dennis Wideman is questionable for Thursday night's game with an upper body injury.

- Milan Lucic was in New York to promote the Winter Classic.

- I'm think this game will be more competitive than Saturday's game, but you can't rule out the possibility of a game like this:

H/T to Hub Hockey for finding this one

- The game starts at 7:00 and can be seen on NESN and heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub. The Public Skate open thread starts a half hour puck drop.

- Shameless Self-Promotion Alert: If you haven't done so already, vote for Stanley Cup of Chowder in round 2 of The NHL Arena's Bruins Blog-Off.

- For more on the "Truculent Leafs", check out Pension Plan Puppets

Today's Obligatory Embarrassing Leafs Fan YouTube Video

There can only be one SteveDangle and you sir are no SteveDangle.

Islanders at Leafs

Chemmy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:54:54 -0000

More photos » by Nathan Denette - AP

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Yesterday we wrote that Chris Pronger would bring a mean streak that Team Canada needs in the Olympics and last night Chris Pronger lived up to his billing by drilling Tavares into the glass from behind. Pronger received a two minute penalty and Tavares lost one of his front teeth so that he can now rock the Dany Heatley look.

No one from the Islanders started a fight with Pronger. No one on their team stood up to a guy who intentionally drilled their star player, their 19 year old wunderkid. Let's hope that streak continues for tonight, because I watched an Islanders team put their tail between their legs last night when faced with physical play. The Leafs don't have Carter, Richards, Briere, Giroux and Van Riemsdyk, but we've got Phil Kessel and a mean streak. Let's make this an unpleasant game for a team that was banged up before last night.

Martin Biron started last night but got torched by the Flyers so I'm guessing we'll see Dwayne Roloson in net tonight. This will be a good chance for the Leafs to exorcise the demons of last week's soul crushing loss to Roloson. I'd say "the Islanders" but that wouldn't be very accurate.

Toskala should be starting for the Leafs, he played very well in the Atlanta game before our defense gave up in the third once the game was well out of hand. However the Leafs play in Boston tomorrow so Joey MacDonald might get the start to save Toskala for tomorrow night. I don't like any of these scenarios to be honest. With Toskala I feel like he plays well just long enough to make you say "oh, maybe I was too harsh" before he shits the bed in a spectacular soul crushing display of aloof ineptitude.

The preview's up early today because we're going to have a bunch of content this afternoon so stay tuned. Remember your SPG picks, check out the excellent Lighthouse Hockey (where we'll make a 2nd period field trip tonight) for Islanders coverage and go Leafs go!

Ian White is Moustachulent, Blake Wheeler Should Be Suspended, and Hockey Night in Canada Hates Us

PPP — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:30:13 -0000

Glove tap to Belligerent Burkie for finding the incident in question

This has nothing to with this post other than I love posting Ian White kicking ass
The Man, The Myth, The Moustache

17. Bill McCreary apologized to Ian White for missing Blake Wheeler’s push from behind that sent White hard into boards. White said after the game, "I was lucky." Obviously, you’d love McCreary to see it and call it live, but good on him for manning up.

- Elliotte Friedman, 30 Thoughts

How long r we going to treat refs like they're above the law, above being questioned by the media? It's an outdated concept that needs 2 die

- Jason Whitlock, Twitter

Those two tweets, the latter re-tweeted by yours truly, were enough to sitr me from my blogging slumber. As usual, my muse Godd Till, was on gchat immediately to kick-start the creative process:

Till: AH YES, BECAUSE THE STANDARD OF OFFICIATING WOULD CERTAINLY BE IMPROVED BY SUSTAINED, INTELLIGENT CRITICISM BY THE HOWARD BERGERS OF THE WORLD

PPP: Not from the dumbasses of the world but the refs should have to answer for why they screwed up like with that White hit.

Till: UH HUH. 'REPLAYS SHOW THAT I WAS BLOCKED OUT ON THE PLAY' Remember that? Can't wait for more of that standard of ass-covering. This should be great.

Obviously, the fact that Bill McCreary missed the hit is mind-blowing. I won't beat around the bush, Ian White is bang on: he is very lucky. If he had been hit a half a stride or so sooner he could have woken up Sunday with a halo and paralysed from the waist or neck down. Blake Wheeler laid an absolutely filthy hit and the fact that he isn't suspended and that there was no call on the ice highlights the massive trouble the league faces in trying to cut dirty play out of the game.

The more upsetting part was that Blake Wheeler didn't stand up to Colton Orr when it came time to pay the piper. Normally, non-fighters obviously don't have to fight enforcers but 'The Code' is supposed to keep players from making those kinds of hits because they'll have to fight the Colton Orrs of the world. Instead, we saw Wheeler pull his best Claude Lemieux impression while the Bruins were rewarded with a powerplay. Of course, I don't want Orr to pull a Carcillo but is it to much to ask that Blake Wheeler man up? And if he won't, would it kill the league to dish out some punishment? I guess so.

There was obviously a lot of ugly things in a broadcast that features the Leafs losing 7-2 in Phil Kessel's first trip back to Boston but one we could both agree on was that Mike Milbury's presence was the straw that broke the camel's back. How bad was it? Godd Till actually wrote a post about how it made him realise Pierre McGuire's genius. Put aside the fact that the very idea of having him present his opinions on anything related to the NHL is laughable.

Till: And what the fuck was with having Mike Milbury in the booth? That POS defended Wheeler on that play.

PPP: WASN'T THAT PAINFUL?

Till: Fuck, Hughson and Simpson are bad enough but that addition was so fucking bad.

PPP: Yeah, it was disgusting.

Till: Hmm, let's put a grating loudmouth Bruins homer in the booth.

PPP: Yeah, this is genius. Ok, next we're going to put a West Coaster with an inferiority complex about Toronto.

Till: Check!

PPP: And some twit that didn't want to play in Toronto because he was a pussy.

Till: GREATTTTT IDEA!

PPP: This is going to be awesome
/scribbles HNiC script

Till: THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ARE PROUD TO SELECT, FROM SASKATOON OF THE WHL, D WENDEL CLARK! FUCK YOU SIMPSON!

PPP: THEN FUCKING BENEDICT CHERRY WEARS A FUCKING BROOONS TIE!

Thanks to a quirk in the schedule the Maple Leafs are back in Boston on Thursday night for a rematch. This is probably a great thing for Phil Kessel in terms of facing a pressure-packed environment. It also lets the Leafs work on the things that killed them on Saturday night: their lack of attention to detail, their lack of offensive desire, and their lack of passion. The one advantage they have is that the Bruins won't be getting shellacked by the Habs Wednesday night because anyone that watched Friday's 100th anniversary game knew what was going to happen:

The Bruins are going to be flying tomorrow night. Freaking bums
- Some Guy On Twitter

God, I hate it when randoms on Twitter are right.

Less Than Zero or a Hazy Shade of Winter?

blurr1974 — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:00:27 -0000

Mr. and Mrs. blurr1974 say hello from California. Not pictured - bubba. (via product.images.fansedge.com)

In my neck of sunny California, the mercury is dipping dangerously close to zero. To compound the issue, there is a storm rolling in with a chance of showers. Depending on how things go, I may be waking up to snow in the morning. Weird. I haven't seen snow on the ground here in over 10 years. Yay?

Anyhoo, despite an off night, there's still plenty to talk about and that's why you're here. Right?

The holidays always bring a flood of festive specials, and the Barilosphere is no exception. Loser Domi kicks off the celebrations with a "Holiday Kesstacular!" Meanwhile, in her other gig, LD is still trying to find out if there is anything Ryan Hollweg is qualified for.
Hungry Leafs Fan took in the Leafs skills competition, and has the pics to prove it!
The reports of jrwendelman's demise have been greatly exaggerated, and he's got the blog post to prove it.
The Far Away Leaf is making a guarantee for the Leafs next game.
Even in a drunken stupor, the Leafs effort level in Boston was still visible for all to see. MLHS' Brad Stowe is still trying to recover. From the game that is...
Kavel Pubina welcomes Philippe Paradis.
Here's a TO Sports article I enjoyed reading. Weird...
A blog can usually be considered one person's unique opinion or perspective on a situation, except Truth & Rumours. I think it speaks for all of us when it asks the Habs to "Cut. It. Out."

Did Phil Kessel try to talk Marc Savard out of re-signing with the Bruins?

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:36:55 -0000

More photos » by Ryan Remiorz - AP

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Marc Savard was on Dale & Holley on WEEI this past Thursday. During the interview, Marc Savard mentioned that he stays in touch with Phil Kessel and Phil told him not to re-sign with the Bruins.

"Yeah, I have. We text a lot. He was obviously one of the guys telling me to wait and to not sign."

- Marc Savard when asked if he stayed in touch with Phil Kessel

They also talked about playing in Boston for another 7 years, Zdeno Chara's nude photos in SI, and the current state of the team.

CLICK HERE for audio of the full interview

H/T to Hub Hockey for bringing this to my attention

Savard's hat trick helps Bruins skate past Toronto 7-2 in #81's return to The Hub

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:44:37 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

5 days ago: Boston Bruins' Marc Savard, center, celebrates his hat trick in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, in Boston. The Bruins won 7-2. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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The Bruins were able to skate past the Toronto Maple Leafs with ease in a game that featured 9 goals and plenty of rough stuff. This game was supposed to be all about the Leafs off-season addition, but it was former Leafs property Tuukka Rask and newly-extended Bruin Marc Savard who shined the brightest tonight. Savard recorded his third career hat trick, while Rask (31 saves) continuously shutdown the Leafs all night long.

The Bruins jumped out to an early lead 5:28 into the game when Derek Morris' shot from the blue line was tipped by Patrice Bergeron and then deflected again by Marco Sturm for Sturm's 9th goal of the season.

Shawn Thornton and Colton Orr dropped the gloves immediately on the ensuing face-off. The heavyweight bout fittingly ended in a draw. The only losers in this one were the hometown fans that were exposed to Colton Orr's creepy 'stache.

The Leafs' attempt to swing the momentum with fisticuffs didn't pay off as the B's found the back just moments later at 6:01 when Marc Savard jumped on a juicy rebound just lying in the slot and put it home for the early 2-0 lead.

The rough stuff continued a few moments later when Mark Stuart and Jamal Mayers shed the mittens as they were trailing the play. Mayers landed some quick shots and took Stuart down to the ice. Stuart got back up and wanted to continue the bout, but the linesmen quickly stepped in. Somehow the combatants only received 2 minutes each for roughing.

The Bruins extended their lead to 3-0 2:09 into the second period after #81 turned the puck over in his own zone and Zdeno Chara uncorked a slapper from the blue line that deflected off the stick of Leafs defenseman Francois Beauchemin and past Joey MacDonald.

Early in the middle period, Blake Wheeler pushed Ian White from behind into the endboards. A few shifts later, Colton Orr tried to send a message to Blake Wheeler and jumped him. Orr was tagged with 2 minutes for roughing and two minutes for interference for his actions.

The B's made it 4-0 with a power play goal with 5:15 remaining in the second period. Michael Ryder had the puck in "Gretzky's office" and a fed a pass out to Marc Savard, who found the back of the net for his second of the night.

After giving up 4 goals on 23 shots in the first two periods, Joey MacDonald was lifted in favor of Vesa Toskala to start the third period.

Mark Recchi's 550th career goal made it 5-0 Bruins at 6:36 of the third period. Patrice Bergeron weaved his way through the Leafs defense and left a short pass for Recchi near the crease before Recchi directed the puck past Toskala for the milestone marker.

Johnny Boychuk's first NHL goal on a one-time slapper made it 6-0 at 12:26 of the third period.

The Bruins struck again just 19 seconds later when Marc Savard's shot from the right wing half wall found the back of the net for his 3rd career hat trick and a flurry of hats came raining down on the ice at The Garden.

Steve Begin and Jamal Mayers squared off as soon as the puck drop after Savard's goal. Mayers got in a few early scoring blows, but Begin scored the takedown.

Toronto finally got on the board with 4:14 remaining to take the shutout away from Tuukka Rask. Matt Stajan set up behind the net and sent a pass to Niklas Hagman at the right circle, who beat Rask for the first time on the night.

Andrew Ference and Lee Stempniak got into after Stempniak ran Johnny Boychuk from behind and Ference came to the aid of his teammate. Ference and Stempniak each received double minors for roughing, while Wayne Primeau received a 10 minute misconduct, presumably for being the third man in on the altercation.

The Leafs cut the lead to 7-2 with 2:02 left in the game as Mikhail Grabovski deflected a Luke Schenn shot past Rask to account for the final score.

Final - 12.5.2009	1	2	3	Total
Toronto Maple Leafs	0	0	2	2
Boston Bruins	2	2	3	7

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- #81 was booed and jeered by The Garden fans every time he touched the puck tonight.

- #81 finished the night with 16:28 of ice time and was a -3 on the night with 1 shot on goal and 2 take-aways, including one that led directly to Zdeno Chara's goal.

- Is there anyone left out there that doubts that Tuukka Rask is ready to play at the NHL level?

- Marc Savard became the first Bruin since #81 to record a hat trick.

- Zdeno Chara was +4 on the night with a goal and an assist

- 5 Bruins had multi-point games (Savard, Chara, Bergeron, Sturm and Bitz)

- Patrice Bergeron dominated in the face-off circle again tonight winning 75% of his 20 draws.

- Tuukka Rask got his 2nd assist of the season on Mark Recchi's 550th career NHL goal.

"Obviously, we didn't play well tonight. I didn't play well. I don't know what else to say... There was pressure, but that was probably the worst game I have played in a while."

- #81

"I love our fans, so give it to him more. I could care less"

- Shawn Thornton on B's fans booing #81

- In a scheduling quirk, the Bruins will meet the Maple Leafs again at TD Garden on Thursday night. The B's are off until then, but the Leafs will travel home for two games against the Thrashers and Islanders before heading back to Boston for a re-match with the B's.

3 Stars (as selected by 98.5 The Sports Hub)
1st Star: Marc Savard (Hat Trick)
2nd Star: Patrice Bergeron (2 assists, +2, 75% on face-offs)
3rd Star: Tuuka Rask (31 saves on 33 shots, assist)

Bruins look to bounce back as they host #81 and the Maple Leafs

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:48:25 -0000

More photos » by NATHAN DENETTE - AP

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The Bruins will try to bounce back from an embarrassing 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night when they host #81 and the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at TD Garden in a match-up that NESN is referring to as "Kessel-Mania I".

Know Your Enemy

Toronto Maple Leafs (8-12-7)

Head Coach: Ron Wilson

Season Series: First of six meetings this season

Leading Goal Scorers:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Niklas Hagman	13	6	19	-2	19

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - #81	10	5	15	5	11

Goaltending:

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Jonas Gustavsson	16	821	6	5			43	3.14	429	386	.900	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Vesa Toskala	10	537	1	4			35	3.91	259	224	.865	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Joey MacDonald	5	279	1	3			13	2.80	134	121	.903	0

Injury Report

Boston Bruins Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Milan Lucic	ankle	11/26/2009

Toronto Maple Leafs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Vesa Toskala	groin	12/01/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mike Van Ryn	knee	09/30/2009
John Mitchell	knee	11/24/2009
Carl Gunnarsson	elbow	12/01/2009
Jonas Gustavsson	heart	12/03/2009

Notes:

- Former Bruin Joey MacDonald will likely get the start in goal for the Leafs tonight.

- I would like to see the Bruins start Tuukka Rask in goal against the team that drafted him. The Bruins didn't hold a morning skate, so we won't know until game-time who the starter will be.

- Toronto actually has a winning record on the road (6-5-4)

- The Bruins will wear their 3rd jerseys tonight for the 5th time this season.

- The Bruins have recalled defenseman Johnny Boychuk from Providence.

- I'm predicting a 65/35 boo to cheer ratio for #81 from the Garden crowd tonight.

- #81 got into a tickle fight with Kris Russell on Thursday night

- The puck drops at 7:00 and the open thread start right here at 6:30.

- For more on the Leafs and tonight's game (and revised colonial history), check out Pension Plan Puppets

Today's Obligatory Embarrassing Leafs Fan YouTube Video