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Bruins hope to avoid third straight loss in matchup with Leafs

Feb 15, 2011 - 3:52 PM (Sports Network) - The first-place Boston Bruins will try to avoid losing three games in a row tonight, when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs for a Northeast Division battle at TD Garden.

The Bruins had a rough weekend as they were swept in a home-and-home series with the Detroit Red Wings. Boston was pounded, 6-1, in the home portion on Friday and was then dealt a 4-2 setback Sunday in the Motor City.

Boston hasn't lost three straight since Dec. 11-16 and another defeat this evening could cost the Bruins their spot atop the Northeast Division. With 69 points, Boston is just one ahead of Montreal for first place. The Canadiens could have a chance to jump past the Bruins tonight when they host the Buffalo Sabres.

Toronto, meanwhile, is 17 points behind the Bruins in the division standings and 10 points out of a playoff spot in the East. The Maple Leafs have also lost two straight and are coming off Saturday's shutout loss in Montreal.

The Bruins have taken two of three from Toronto this season and Boston has won four of six and 11 out of 14 overall in the series. The Leafs have also lost six straight and seven out of eight in Boston. Toronto's last win in Beantown came on Oct. 23, 2008.

After getting slammed on Friday by the Red Wings, the Bruins were dealt a 4-2 defeat two days later at Joe Louis Arena. Todd Bertuzzi scored two goals in both games for Detroit.

Rookies Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand scored first-period goals for Boston, which got 32 saves from Michigan native Tim Thomas. It was the third loss in four games for the Bruins.

"We got outplayed. They're a very highly-skilled hockey team," Thomas said. "You can't give them the odd-man rushes and good scoring chances or else they bury them. That's what they did for two games against us."

Tonight's tilt marks the final home game of the month for Boston, which will follow up this evening's test with a six-game road trip. The Bruins are 15-11-3 on home ice compared to a 16-7-4 road mark.

The Bruins will have forward Daniel Paille as an option tonight, now that he has served a four-game suspension for a blindside hit to Dallas' Raymond Sawada on Feb. 3.

The Maple Leafs were blanked by the rival Canadiens on Saturday, as Carey Price made 27 saves to record his sixth shutout of the season in Montreal's 3-0 win at the Bell Centre.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere allowed three goals on 39 shots for the Maple Leafs, who had won four of five prior to dropping their last two outings.

"I don't think, as a group, we were ready to compete tonight. When you come in to a building like this, against a division rival, you have to show up," said Giguere. "You have to compete in every aspect of the game. I don't think we were willing to do that for the whole 60 minutes."

Toronto's rookie goaltender James Reimer is expected to get the start tonight. Reimer lost his only career game against Boston on Jan. 3, but he allowed just two goals on 33 shots in that 2-1 setback.

Boston's Thomas is 1-0-1 with a 0.96 goals-against average in two games against Toronto this season.

The Maple Leafs will no longer have forward Kris Versteeg at their disposal after trading him to Philadelphia on Monday for a first and third-round pick in the 2011 draft. The 24-year-old winger had 14 goals and 35 points in 53 games for Toronto this season.

Toronto is just 10-16-1 on the road this year and has lost six of its last seven games as the guest. The Maple Leafs are currently on a three- game road trip that is set to end tomorrow night in Buffalo.