Bruins Finally Solve the Maple Leafs, Thanks In No Small Part to Their Ageless Captain Zdeno Chara

Right now, there probably isn't a team in the NHL that the Bruins (31-11-8) should be fearful of. I say that with tonight's 4-1 win vs. Toronto (30-19-5) at TD Garden still within sight of their rear-view mirror. The B's had been winless in their last six games with the Leafs (0-5-1) including losses on back-to-back nights in November. That was then and this is now as the Bruins are a remarkable 16-1-4 in their previous 21 contests. What's more, Tuukka Rask (18-0-2) extended his own point streak to 20 games while he works his way up the franchise list (still the 4th best mark in team history) for goaltenders.

There was more historical context to this regular season meeting as Bruins captain Zdeno Chara played in his 1400th career NHL game. Tomorrow will most likely be all about Tom Brady (who picked up yet another NFL MVP award this evening) but the Black and Yellow 40-year-old has proven over and over that he still has plenty left in his super-sized frame. He was a game-high +2 vs. Toronto, skated a game-high 24:00, had an assist, five hits and he blocked two shots. What is the Slovakian translation for "are you not entertained?" I know that many Bruins fans (not to mention radio hosts, cough cough Felger) had begun to write him off years ago but what can you say now when he's still performing at such a high level-he should have been an All-Star last weekend in Tampa?

Boston had it's 18-game point streak (14-0-4) snapped on Tuesday in their 3-1 loss to Anaheim (25-18-10) but since then, they've immediately bounced back with a solid 3-1 victory against St. Louis (32-19-3) on Thursday followed by this strong performance versus the only club that can realistically catch them for second-place in the Atlantic Division. The two points means that they are five points ahead of Toronto with four games in hand. After allowing the first goal in eight straight games, the B's have begun to make things easier on themselves by striking first on Thursday and tonight. Patrice Bergeron hammered in a pass from Danton Heinen at 4:29 of the first period. That play started after a ferocious forecheck by the rookie led to a turnover by the Maple Leafs (they had 12 more than the Bruins in the entire tilt). Bergeron's goal was his team-leading 22nd of the season, Brad Marchand has 21 but one game remains on his suspension.

It was a great sight to see Charlie McAvoy back on the ice since he missed the last four games following a heart procedure. He was noticeably rusty as you would expect, never more so than when Mitch Marner's shot (that was going wide of the net) was deflected in by McAvoy's stick. Tuukka Rask (23 saves in his 21st win of the season) consoled him after the play and it was knotted at one after the first period. Boston used a pair of power play tallies in the second period to take control of things: David Pastrnak's shot slipped by Frederik Andersen (26 saves) at 9:22 and Torey Krug smoked a one-timer at 16:47 for the 3-1 Bruins lead. Pastrnak's goal was his 21st of the season, assisted by Krug and Heinen. Krug's eighth goal of the season featured helpers by Austin Czarnik (making his first appearance for Boston since Nov. 8) and David Krejci.

Boston outshot Toronto 30-24 and while the Leafs owned the third (10-6), the B's still potted the only goal in the final frame-an empty-netter by Tim Schaller that was assisted by Rask (!) and Chara. These are heady times for the Bruins since they have the second most points in the Eastern Conference (trailing only Tampa Bay) and fourth most in the NHL (Winnipeg and Vegas are also in front of them) which is sort of mind-blowing. Nobody wants to be the Washington Capitals-regular season heroes that turn into pumpkins every spring in the playoffs-and Boston is showing early signs of what should be a tough out in the postseason. Tonight felt like a game that you'd see in April or May, not early February and these teams will meet one more time in the regular season (Feb. 24 in Toronto) and perhaps again when it really counts. The B's have been great at the Garden (18-6-4) and also very good on the road (13-5-4) which should come in handy with a back-loaded second half schedule.

The Bruins visit two struggling teams in the East this week that currently sit outside the playoff picture: they are in Detroit (21-22-8) on Tuesday (7:30, NESN) followed by a back-to-back at the Rangers (25-21-5) the next night (8, NBC Sports). The next home game is a week from tonight (7, NESN) vs. wretched Buffalo (14-29-9). Since he's in such a groove and because the Red Wings are in the Atlantic Division, I'm betting that Rask will get the start in Motown and then Anton Khudobin appears on Broadway. As New England sports fans, we are insanely lucky these days: the Patriots could win their sixth Super Bowl tomorrow night, the Celtics are the best team in the Eastern Conference (and they seem like the only team in the East capable of pushing the Warriors in a potential NBA Finals) and the Bruins are the hottest team in the NHL. Go Pats!

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