The Bruins have a chance to do something the team hasn't accomplished in more than four decades.
With a win Wednesday in Toronto, or even a loss in overtime or a shootout, the Bruins can complete an entire month having earned at least a point in every game for the first time since they went 10-0-4 in January 1969. That was five years before any of the current Bruins were even born.
So far this November, the Bruins are 11-0-1 for 23 points. A win would give them 25 points in a month for the first time since March 1978. At least a few of the Bruins were alive for that, including elder statesman Tim Thomas, who was born in 1974.
Thomas (11-4-0, 1.86 GAA, .937 save percentage) was the first goalie off the ice at Wednesday's morning skate and is expected to get the start against the Leafs. He has won his last eight starts, matching a personal-best from his 8-0-0 start to last season. His current run includes a 24-save shutout of the Leafs in a 7-0 Bruins victory on their last visit to Toronto on Nov. 5.
The Leafs are expected to counter with Jonas Gustavsson in net. He's 8-4-0 with a 3.06 GAA and a .901 save percentage overall this season, but has been strong of late with a 4-0-0 record and 1.71 GAA in his last four starts. He hasn't fared well against the Bruins this year though, allowing eight goals in 85 minutes for a 5.66 GAA and an .837 save percentage.
Gustavsson has taken over as the Leafs' top netminder because James Reimer remains out with concussion-like symptoms. That's just the start of Toronto's injury problems, with Colby Armstrong (ankle), Mike Brown (lower body), Mike Komisarek (broken arm) and Matthew Lombardi (shoulder) all on injured reserve as well. Toronto did get forward Mikhail Grabovski (leg) back on Saturday and center David Steckel (hand) and defenseman Carl Gunnarsson (hand) will be game-time decisions for this one.
If Gunnarsson can play, Keith Aulie will come out of the lineup. Leafs coach Ron Wilson will face a tougher lineup decision up front if Steckel is ready to go. Joe Colborne would be the obvious candidate to come out, but he's had points in three straight games and Wilson is unlikely to deny Colborne the first chance to play against the Bruins, who drafted him 16th overall in 2008 before sending him to Toronto as part of the package for Tomas Kaberle last February.
Kelly Sutherland and Frederick L'Ecuyer will be the referees, with Greg Devorski and Steve Barton working the lines.
Projected Bruins lines
Forwards
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton
Defense
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid
Goalies
Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask
Scratches: Jordan Caron, Steven Kampfer
Projected Maple Leafs lines
Forwards
Joffrey Lupul-Tyler Bozak-Phil Kessel
Clarke MacArthur-Tim Connolly-Nikolai Kulemin
Joey Crabb-Joe Colborne-Matt Frattin
Jay Rosehill-Mikhail Grabovski-Philippe Dupuis
Defense
Carl Gunnarson-Dion Phaneuf
Jake Gardiner-Luke Schenn
John-Michael Liles-Cody Franson
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
Ben Scrivens
Scratches: David Steckel (hand), Colton Orr, Keith Aulie
