Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Pick & Prediction JANUARY 4th 2025

Preview and Prediction

The Boston Bruins will attempt to rediscover their scoring prowess as they wrap up a three-game road trip on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Scoring has been hard to come by for the Bruins, who have dropped their first two games of the trip - a 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and a 2-1 defeat to the New York Rangers on Thursday.

Over their last four games, the Bruins have only managed to net eight goals, resulting in a 1-3 record. As of Thursday, they were tied for 26th in the league with just 103 goals on the season, averaging only 2.58 goals per game. In comparison, the Maple Leafs were tied for 13th with 120 goals (3.08 average).

"It's a tough situation," said David Pastrnak, who assisted on Boston's lone goal against the Rangers. "Sometimes it's hard to focus on the positives when we're 0-2 on this road trip. But we need to regroup and shift our focus to our divisional matchup against Toronto."

The two teams have split their two previous meetings this season, with the home team coming out on top each time.

Despite the losses, Bruins coach Joe Sacco was pleased with his team's effort against the Rangers.

"I thought the guys executed our game plan well," Sacco said. "We just need to be more consistent offensively and take advantage of our opportunities. Scoring only one goal in each of our last two games puts a lot of pressure on our defense. We need to find a way to generate more offense."

Elias Lindholm managed to score for Boston in the second period of the game against New York, bringing the team within one goal.

"We had plenty of chances to score more than one goal, but their goalie (Jonathan Quick) made some great saves," Lindholm said. "We need to find a way to capitalize on our opportunities. It's not enough to only score one goal per game."

The Maple Leafs are coming off a 2-1 road win against the New York Islanders, completing a home-and-home sweep on Thursday.

Bobby McMann was the hero for Toronto, scoring both goals in the game, including the game-winner on a power play with just under three minutes left in the third period.

"I was pleased with our performance. We played with a lot of speed and intensity," said Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube. "It was a tough game against a good Islanders team, but we were able to come out on top. Our goalie was solid, especially in the first period when we gave up a few odd-man rushes."

The Maple Leafs have now won three of their last four games and eight of their last 12.

"It was a close game with a lot of momentum shifts," said goaltender Joseph Woll, who made 32 saves. "We've had some tight games against this team in the past, and tonight was no different."

Bobby McMann has been on fire for the Maple Leafs, scoring six goals and tallying four assists in his last nine games, bringing his season total to 12 goals.

"He's got a great shot," Woll said of McMann. "He showed it off tonight. He has a quick release and a heavy shot. It was great to see him find the back of the net."

Toronto's captain Auston Matthews has missed the last six games due to an upper-body injury, but he participated in an optional skate on Thursday and could potentially return this weekend. After facing the Bruins, the Maple Leafs will host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

PREDICTION

Boston Bruins

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4

Toronto Maple Leafs

Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Recap NOV 5TH 2024