Just the Facts
Who: Boston Bruins (14-10-4, 32 Pts) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (20-8-1, 41 Pts)
When: 7:00 PM EST (Really 7:15 because of Hockey Night in Canada)
Where: TD Garden
How to Follow Along: NESN, NHL Network, CBC, 98.5 The Sports Hub
Rival SBN Site: Pension Plan Puppets
Know your Enemy
Well, a lot has changed since the last time these two met November 26th. Just before the deadline, the Leafs and William Nylander settled on a long-term deal. Nylander played Thursday night for the Leafs in a 5-4 overtime loss to Detroit. Mike Babcock eased him into the lineup, only giving the star forward 12:29 in ice time. Nylander has 135 points in 186 NHL contests.
While many of the underlying metrics suggest that the Leafs have fallen off since the start of the season, their recent record suggests otherwise. Toronto is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, including beating the Bruins 3-2 in Toronto. They also hold an 11-3-0 record on the road this season.
Game Notes
- Is this a must win game for the Bruins? Probably. The Bruins 4-4-2 record over their last 10 is alright, especially considering the injuries, but losing 5-0 Tuesday night in Florida and 3-2 Thursday night in Tampa has left a bitter taste in the mouths of Bruins fans. A win against arguably the Bruins biggest rival at the moment would give a huge boost to the morale inside of the locker room and with the fans.
- There’s no word on whether the newly acquire Gemel Smith will make an appearance for the Bruins. Don Sweeney and Co. picked Smith up off of waivers on Thursday. Not sure who the odd man out would be for the Bruins.
- The Maple Leafs have been involved in fewer 5v5 penalties than any team in the league. They haven’t drawn many, but haven’t taken them either. Not sure how that impacts one game, but interesting nonetheless.
- Something to watch for, almost like the discovery of black holes, there is a phenomenon in hockey that I propose we call “Babcock’s Spot”. I think you can see this best from the Maple Leafs 2017-18 heat map, so I will leave it down below, and you can visit hockeyviz.com for more charts. The Maple Leafs will run low-to-high frequently, meaning that their forwards will pass back to the point. Their defensemen will typically take the shot rather than try to make a play. The Maple Leafs are very good at deflecting and recovering the puck. Their offense will often open up from these plays.
- Most Bruins fans know that the Leafs love to use the stretch pass, but that is not the only weapon Toronto has in their arsenal. They love to flood areas of the ice to create small 2-on-1’s in transition. In the example below, the Maple Leafs blow by an established 1-2-2 forecheck that the Bruins set up.