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Leafs hope to push win streak to 3 in clash with Bruins

Feb 2, 2013 - 3:18 PM (Sports Network) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will aim for their first three-game winning streak in a year when they host the rival Boston Bruins in Saturday's Northeast Division battle at Air Canada Centre.

With recent victories over Buffalo and Washington, the Maple Leafs are on their first winning streak of 2013. The last time Toronto won three in a row was from Feb. 1-6 of last season, but the Leafs followed that modest winning streak with a 2-13-2 stretch to effectively end their playoff hopes for a seventh straight spring.

Boston, meanwhile, will try to rebound from its first regulation loss of the season. The Bruins were 5-0-1 on the year before getting dealt a 7-4 loss on Thursday by the visiting Buffalo Sabres.

The Bruins figure to have an excellent chance at getting back on track in Toronto. Boston swept all six games in the season series in 2011-12 and outscored the Leafs by a 36-10 margin along the way.

All told, Boston has won nine of 13 and 19 of the last 26 encounters in this series overall and Toronto has dropped three straight on home ice.

After posting an overtime win Tuesday in Buffalo, the Maple Leafs recorded another win two nights later against the visiting Capitals. Toronto trailed Washington by a 2-1 count after 40 minutes, but Nikolai Kulemin and Matt Frattin each netted a goal in the third period to lift the Leafs to victory.

James van Riemsdyk also scored for Toronto, while James Reimer stopped 20 shots.

"We played great as a team today. If there was a game we deserved to win it was this one," Reimer said. "I thought tonight our whole team just battled hard and we deserved it tonight."

The comeback win was Toronto's first victory in three games (1-2-0) at Air Canada Centre this season.

Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Komisarek (eye) and forward Clarke MacArthur (finger) are questionable for Saturday's game. Forward Mike Brown is expected to miss the contest with a shoulder injury.

The Bruins allowed Thomas Vanek to record a hat trick and a five-point night in Thursday's 7-4 setback to the Sabres. Boston actually took a 4-3 lead early in the third period before Buffalo tallied four unanswered goals for the shocking win.

Brad Marchand scored twice in the loss while Rich Peverley and David Krejci added a goal apiece. Tuukka Rask was tagged for six goals on 31 shots in defeat, as Boston surrendered its most goals in one game thus far in 2013.

"We had lots of scoring chances, we had lots of shots ... when we score four goals, we usually win," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "(It was) uncharacteristic of our hockey club. We'll make some corrections tomorrow, and try and solidify our defensive play again."

Saturday's game is Boston's third road test of the season. The Bruins, who won't play again until visiting Montreal on Wednesday, are 1-0-1 as the guest.

Bruins forwards Patrice Bergeron (shoulder) and Daniel Paille (eye) are questionable for Saturday's game. Bergeron was injured after wiping out into the boards during Thursday's game, but he was able to finish the contest. Paille took a stick to the eye on Thursday and didn't return.

Boston tough guy Shawn Thornton was also injured in the loss to Buffalo as he sustained a concussion during a fight with Buffalo's John Scott. Thornton is expected to miss at least a week of action with the head injury.