MVN: Most Valuable Network

Two weeks ago, the Boston Bruins played one of their worst games of the season in a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The general consensus following that contest was that the Bruins were outworked, outplayed, and outhustled, leading to the defeat. The good thing about hockey is that the season is 82 games long, and Boston will have their first chance at redemption against the Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were expected to be a rebuilding team in 2008-09, but they are still hanging around through one month of the season. Toronto enters Thursday night's tilt with a 5-4-4 record, good for 14 points, and a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs are coming off of back-to-back losses against the Carolina Hurricanes, with the most recent one being a 5-4 setback in overtime on Tuesday. Boston comes in with a record of 6-3-3, and wins in four of their last five games.

The top line for the Maple Leafs is the line that connected for the second goal the last time the two teams met. That line has Matt Stajan in the middle, with Alexei Ponikarovsky on the left, and Nik Antropov on the right. Antropov is tied for the team lead in scoring with four goals and six assists, Ponikarovsky is right behind with three goals and six assists, and Stajan is in a tie for fourth with eight points. Niklas Hagman is the other Maple Leaf with ten points, while his linemate, Mikhail Grabovski, is Toronto's leading goal scorer with five, to go along with two assists. Nikolai Kulemin completes the second line with two goals and five assists. If you're looking for a player under the radar, keep an eye on John Mitchell. The 23-year old had a slow start to his pro career, but was an instrumental part of Toronto's 5-2 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday, with two goals and an assist.

Some fans may find it a bit surprising to know that Toronto's leading scorer on the blueline is Mike Van Ryn. Van Ryn has three goals and five assists so far, with two of those goals coming on the power play. Tomas Kaberle has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in the goal department, but does have six assists, to bring his season point total up to seven. Pavel Kubina is the other defenseman to look out for on the Maple Leafs. He currently has two goals and four assists. The talk of the town for Toronto is rookie Luke Schenn. Schenn only has two assists in 13 games, but earned a ton of respect after dropping the gloves with Ottawa's Chris Neil. Neil through a questionable hit on Matt Stajan, causing Schenn to stick up for his teammate.

With Curtis Joseph starting and struggling on Sunday in Carolina, the smart bet would be Vesa Toskala making his second straight start against the Bruins. On the season, Toskala is 5-2-3 with a 3.00 goals against average, and won his lone start against the Black and Gold. Joseph currently sits at 0-2-1 with a 3.91 goals against average. Tim Thomas continues to play well between the pipes for Boston, so he is the early favorite, assuming they ride the hot hand.

The puck is set to drop at 7:00 on Thursday night from the TD Banknorth Garden, as the Boston Bruins play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Thursday is the final night off this week for the Providence Bruins, as they begin a three-game weekend Friday against the Chicago Wolves.