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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Leafs and Boston Bruins held optional skates at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday.  

The Bruins have the hottest power play in the postseason so far having converted on five of 11 chances against the Leafs. Boston did everything but score on their one chance in Monday’s loss.

“I didn't think the penalty kill was very good,” Toronto head coach Mike Babcock admitted. “I just thought they missed the open net. I actually thought our penalty kill might have been better before and they got some bounces. We've got to do a better job on the penalty kill, we all understand that.”

“We're just trying to get our groove back,” said winger Zach Hyman, who leads all Toronto forwards in shorthanded ice time in the series.

“It was big for us not to let in a penalty kill goal in Game 3 and I think a lot of the goals they scored on the power play were bounces. Obviously, they got their chances and they're a really, really good power play, but I think we can be more competitive on the PK and play a lot better. We have a lot to prove, for sure.”

What has Boston’s power play done so well in the series so far?

“Get to the front of the net,” said Cassidy. “We’ve found ways to get pucks in there and get inside position, for the most part.”

The Bruins power play ranked fourth (23.5 per cent) in the NHL in the regular season and the tremendous chemistry between their top-line players – Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak – often carries over to special teams.

“When they’ve taken away some of Pastrnak’s shot we’ve been able to get the high tips as well off face-offs,” Cassidy added.

The Leafs penalty kill was ranked in the top 10 in the NHL during most of the regular season, but slumped down the stretch.

“We know we've got to be better,” Babcock said. “We've tried to make the adjustments accordingly both with our attitude, and I don't mean attitude in a negative way at all, just with being loose and jumping versus standing around and watching them play.”

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Morgan Rielly refused to take the bait when asked if Marchand is the most annoying guy to face in the NHL.

“Ah, no. He’s a good player and has been for a long time and that’s the toughest thing about him is his speed and skill,” the Leafs defenceman said.

“What a nice guy, eh?” Marchand quipped when informed of the comment. “I don’t care how other players view me. He’s being a little nicer than maybe he should be.”

Things seemed to get testy between the two during Monday’s tilt, which saw the pair swipe at each other with their sticks at one point. Does it ever get personal in a playoff series when you face the same guy night in and night out?

“No," Marchand said, "things happen in games and I don’t think anything gets personal. We’re playing a game out there. It’s just fun.”

Marchand seemed to be having fun with the media on Thursday morning just hours before pivotal Game 4. Asked what adjustments the Bruins need to make after losing on Monday, Marchand was succinct.

“I think we’re going to try and score more goals than they do,” he said. “That would probably be the first one.”

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When the media session appeared to be wrapping up, Marchand encouraged reporters to keep going.

"Nothing about Bergy?" he asked. "He’s the best! We love him! Congrats Berg!"

That would be Patrice Bergeron, who was named a finalist for the Selke Trophy on Wednesday. He’s been nominated seven straight seasons to set a new record and is tied with Bob Gainey for the most wins (four).

If Marchand wanted to keep gabbing, reporters were more than happy to oblige.

“He does everything that I can’t,” Marchand said when asked about his running mate. “The way he pushes himself, his linemates have to push to be at that level as well. He expects us to be good and pushes us to be better. It’s fun watching him in practice, the way he continually tries to improve on his game. A guy like that could easily coast through practice and not try to get better, but that’s not the way he’s built.”

The big focus for Bergeron this season has been on the offensive side of things and perfecting a quick release from the top of the slot.

“It helps playing with two very gifted offensive players and I’m trying to get open for them,” Bergeron said. “That’s the one thing I’ve worked on the most this year is my quick release in the slot and trying to get that shot off as quick as possible, especially if I play what we call the bumper position on the power play. There’s not much time there if you want to get a shot off.”

Bergeron scored 30 goals in 64 games this season. It was the best goals-per game (0.47) mark in his career.

“He’s always got something he wants to get better at,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “The one thing I noticed this year is scoring. It’s up and he worked on that every day. He gets out early with [assistant coach] Jay [Pandolfo] shooting that puck from the bumper. He scores from there five-on-five. In fact, he scored in this building earlier this year from that spot. He scores on the power play from there. That was his area of focus.”

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The Leafs have a healthy swagger at the Air Canada Centre having won 17 of 19 games in the building. The start of the hot streak actually coincided with a new ritual. In late January, Tyler Bozak’s two-year-old son, Kanon, wandered over to the entrance of the dressing room and offered fist bumps to Leafs players after they left the ice following warm-up.

"He kind of just does whatever he wants, I guess,” Bozak explained, “just walks wherever he wants in this rink now and thinks he owns the place so he just walks right up to where we're coming off. He started doing it when we started our little streak at home and it's been working well. I like to say he brings us a little luck, but he has no idea, he just likes coming over there."

Added Jake Gardiner, “He's probably got more pull than most of us do in this building with just how cute he is and obviously being Bozie's kid. It’s great having him around.”


Projected Leafs lineup for Game 4:

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Marner
van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Brown
Johnsson-Moore-Kapanen

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Polak

Andersen starts
McElhinney

Scratches: Leivo, Martin, Carrick
Suspended: Kadri
Injured: Komarov (lower body)

Projected Bruins lineup for Game 4:

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Krejci-Rick Nash
Heinen-Riley Nash-Backes
Schaller-Kuraly-Acciari

Chara-McAvoy
Krug-Miller
Grzelcyk-McQuaid

Rask starts
Khudobin

Scratches: Donato, Gionta, Wingels, Holden
Injured: Carlo, Bjork