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Boston cruises past Toronto

Mar 20, 2012 - 3:47 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Benoit Pouliot paced an offensive attack with two goals and an assist, as the Boston Bruins dominated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 8-0.

Tim Thomas only needed to make 13 saves for his fifth shutout of the season for the Bruins, who went 6-0 against Toronto this season. Boston became the first of these teams to sweep the other in a season series since the Maple Leafs joined the Eastern Conference in 1998-99.

Brian Rolston had a goal and three assists for Boston, which has won two straight since a four-game skid. Chris Kelly, Gregory Campbell, Brad Marchand, Zdeno Chara and Tyler Seguin also lit the lamp.

The Bruins now have 87 points and sit three points ahead of idle Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division.

"I don't think we expected the game to go that way...what we tried to do was just stay focused for 60 minutes," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said.

James Reimer started in net for Toronto and gave up four goals on nine shots in the first period. Jonas Gustavsson came on in relief and turned aside 11- of-15 shots.

The Maple Leafs went 2-3-0 on a five-game road trip.

"It was a tough spill to swallow," said Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek. "It was embarrassing out there tonight. We didn't do anything right out there."

Boston's offense got going 2:25 into the game. After Toronto turned the puck over in its own zone, Pouliot gathered the puck at the top of the left circle. He slid a pass to the front of the net for Kelly, who beat Reimer with a backhander.

Campbell added a wrap-around goal at the 5:40 mark to make it a 2-0 game.

Pouliot deflected in Johnny Boychuk's blast from the right point with 9:02 remaining for a three-goal cushion.

Less than two minutes later, Marchand lit the lamp on the power play for a 4-0 lead. Seguin controlled the puck at the bottom of the left circle and fed a cross-ice pass across the crease to Marchand, who scored from a tough angle.

Thomas only needed to make two saves in the first period.

Pouliot, Chara and Rolston scored against Gustavsson in the middle stanza to make it a 7-0 contest. The Maple Leafs had just seven shots on net through two periods.

Seguin scored late in the third to complete the scoring.

Game Notes

The Bruins have won three straight and nine of their last 11 home tilts versus Toronto...Julien coached his 400th game behind the Boston bench on Monday, moving him into a tie with Don Cherry for third on the Bruins' all-time games coached list...Boston signed forward Shawn Thornton to a two-year contract Monday...Thomas recorded the 31st shutout of his career.