With one win under his belt as new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Randy Carlyle looks to add to his win totals as the Blue and White return home for an original six match-up against the Boston Bruins.
This is the fifth of six meetings between the Northeast Division rivals this season. The Bruins have swept the season series thus far, going a perfect 4-0-0. Boston's last victory over the Maple Leafs a 4-1 win on home ice on Dec. 3. Through their four games against one another this season, the Bruins have outscored Toronto by a 23-6 margin.
Following a span in which the Blue and White lost ten of eleven games and were falling out of the playoff picture more with each passing day, it was time for a change. General manager Brian Burke made that change last Friday, replacing Ron Wilson behind the bench with former Anaheim Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle. The first game as Leafs' bench boss was a successful one for the Sudbury, Ontario native, picking up a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday for Toronto's first win in seven games.
In addition to the Leafs ending their losing slump, Mikhail Grabovski broke out of his personal slump with two goals while also hitting the 20-goal plateau for the second year in a row and third time in his career. Prior to Saturday's road win over the Habs, the 28-year old Belarussian had gone the entire month of February(14 games) without a goal.
Grabovski is currently riding a three-game point streak, registering five points (two goals, three assists) during that span. The Leafs hope that Grabovski has found his scoring touch once again as he has been their top contributor in games against the Bruins this season. Through Toronto's four games against their original six rivals from Beantown, Grabovski has scored three of the Leafs' six goals.
The Leafs' win over the Habs was an important two points as the playoff push intensifies and more teams try to make their way into the post-season and grab eighth in the East. Entering Tuesday's game, Toronto finds themselves 12th in the Eastern Conference with 67 points, five points back of the Winnipeg Jets for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Leafs hold two games in hand over the Jets.
Eastern Conference Playoff Picture
8. Winnipeg Jets - 15GR, 72PTS
9. Washington Capitals - 17GR, 69PTS
10. Tampa Bay Lightning - 17GR, 68PTS
11. Buffalo Sabres - 16GR, 68PTS
12. Toronto Maple Leafs - 17GR, 67PTS
13. New York Islanders - 16GR, 65PTS
On Monday afternoon, tough guy Jay Rosehill cleared waivers, paving the way to be recalled and make a return to the lineup against Boston. Coach Carlyle has changed up the team’s lines in practice over the last few days, placing Tim Connolly on a line with David Steckel and Nikolai Kulemin. Battling it out for a spot on the fourth line are four players that include Mike Brown, Matthew Lombardi, Rosehill and Joey Crabb. The gritty Brown will sit out against Boston with stitches in his hand, the result of a fight with Brad Staubitz on Saturday.
In the win over the Habs, Jonas Gustavsson stopped 21 shots to snap a five-game losing skid and collect his first win since Jan. 24. The Monster will get the start against Boston. In three games against the Bruins this season, Gustavsson is 0-2-0 with a 5.44 goals-against average and .852 save percentage.
James Reimer gave up four goals in a 4-1 loss to the Bruins on Dec. 3 in his only start against them this season. In five career games against Boston, Reimer is 3-2-0 with a 2.77 goals-against and .919 save percentage.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
Joffrey Lupul – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Clarke MacArthur – Mikhail Grabovski – Matt Frattin
Nikolai Kulemin – David Steckel – Tim Connolly
Jay Rosehill – Matthew Lombardi – Colby Armstrong
Defence
Carl Gunnarsson - Dion Phaneuf
John-Michael Liles - Mike Komisarek
Jake Gardiner - Luke Schenn
Cody Franson
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
James Reimer
For more on tonight's Bruins vs. Leafs match-up, including a detailed look at the Bruins and their projected lines, be sure to visit
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