Leafs need to figure out Bruins

Last season the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to beat the Boston Bruins in 6 head-to-head games. They were outscored 36-10 during those games.

Say what you want about the rivalries with Ottawa and Montreal, but until the Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins, all this talk about the playoffs won’t mean a thing.

“You never really forget with what happened last year,” said James Reimer. “We owe them.”

“We have lots of room for improvements in terms of records against several teams in the league. We just have to play a higher brand of hockey against everybody, and really that’s our message,” said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. “We have to be prepared to go out and compete in all areas of the ice and win our share of one-on-one battles.”

“We’re a work in progress,” added Carlyle.

“We can’t lose every game to them again this year,” added Tyler Bozak.

Sounds simple doesn’t it. But the Bruins are a physical team that has made it difficult for the Leafs. When you consider Phil Kessel has scored just 3 goals and is a -18 in 18 career games against the Bruins, you know the task is a difficult one.

Kessel hasn’t scored a goal this season, the task gets that much tougher.

“I think Phil has been playing great,” said Reimer. “It’s the least of our worries right now. Phil is an elite player in this league and the goals will come for him.”

“It’s going to come,” said his linemate, Bozak. “Once he gets the first one they will come in bunches for him.”

The Leafs are coming off a win over Washington, a game Carlyle felt “from a work standpoint” it was the best game his team has played this season.

Look for forward Frazer McLaren – claimed off waivers from San Jose – to play tonight. He is a 6 – foot-5 forward who at 230 pounds is a physical player having picked up 85 penalty minutes and just 1 goal in 40 career NHL games.

“From our research people will be a little bit surprised about his skills,” said Carlyle. “We think he has more to offer than his physical presence.”

The Leafs hope he and his teammates will offer a bit more against the Bruins starting tonight.

The game also marks the Toronto debut of defenseman Dougie Hamilton, the final piece in the Phil Kessel trade.

Hamilton is a Toronto kid, who “grew up loving the Leafs” and said “it’s pretty cool” to be playing at the Air Canada Centre.

“He’s very down to earth,” said teammate Brad Marchand of the 19 year old Hamilton. “Normally when you get a guy that young with that much talent they have a bit of an attitude sometimes. He’s very respectful to the older guys. He’s excited to be here. He’s an incredible player on the ice. We’re lucky to have him.”

“It’s pretty impressive to say the least,” said coach Claude Julien. “We are impressed with his skating for a guy his size. The way he handles the pressure is a bit above and beyond what we expected early on his career.”

First Tyler Seguin. Now Dougie Hamilton as the Kessel trade seems to constantly hang over the Maple Leafs.

Of course a win – maybe a few wins – would help ease the pain for Leafs fans. A bit anyway.