Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand praised the Toronto Maple Leafs for their performance this season.
Marchand is no stranger to facing the Maple Leafs, having competed against them 55 times in regular-season play, which is his second-highest total after the 64 games he’s played against Buffalo. In addition to his regular-season experience, Marchand has battled the Leafs in the playoffs since 2011, accumulating 10 goals and 19 assists in 28 playoff games. Last year, he recorded three goals and eight points during their first-round series. His past antics—both physical and verbal—against the Maple Leafs have contributed to a heated rivalry, which the 36-year-old acknowledged earlier today.
Marchand: "Toronto is definitely our biggest rival at this point in time." #Leafs
— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) January 4, 2025
Marchand didn’t stop with just a few remarks; he continued to praise the Maple Leafs for their impressive style of hockey this season, crediting first-year head coach Craig Berube. “They’re an outstanding team this year. They’ve been developing for some time and have really discovered the right approach to the game, supporting and competing for one another. Their style of hockey has changed significantly.”
Marchand on the #Leafs: "They’re an extremely good team this year. They’ve been building for a while now and have really kind of figured out the right way to play, the way they stick up for each other, compete for each other. They’re a different brand of hockey right now."
— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) January 4, 2025
He’s right, as the Maple Leafs have transformed into a vastly improved team compared to prior seasons under Sheldon Keefe. However, the real test will come during the playoffs, and given the current playoff format, there’s a strong likelihood that their rivalry will be reignited this year. Toronto is currently tied for first in the Atlantic Division with the Florida Panthers, although they hold a slight advantage due to having played one extra game.
The Bruins sit in third place but are only 2 points ahead of Tampa Bay, who have five games in hand. After Saturday night, the Maple Leafs will face the Bruins just once more on February 25. So far this season, Toronto has a record of 1-0-1 against Boston, having lost in overtime on October 26 but winning 4-0 a few weeks later. It’s too early to make any definitive predictions, but the Leafs could still encounter the Bruins in the playoffs, even if they win the division and the Bruins fall to a wild-card spot, which would likely be something Marchand—and the media, in general—would enjoy.
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