Bruins–Maple Leafs rivalry

The Bruins–Maple Leafs rivalry is a National Hockey League (NHL) rivalry between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The teams both compete in the Atlantic Division and with current NHL scheduling, they meet four times per season.

Both teams are Original Six teams, with their first game played in Boston's inaugural season in 1924. Boston has won nine of their 17 postseason series against one another, having won all seven playoff meetings that occurred since expansion of the league began in 1967.

Toronto and Boston are also division rivals in the other two professional leagues in which both cities have teams (Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association). No other pair of Canadian and U.S. cities has three division rivalries.

The series began on December 3, 1924, when the Toronto St. Patricks (renamed Maple Leafs in 1927) met the Boston Bruins for the first time. In the match-up, the St. Patricks earned a 5–3 victory against the Bruins at Mutual Street Arena. The Bruins played their first Stanley Cup playoff series against the Maple Leafs following the 1932–33 NHL season. The Maple Leafs won the series 3–2.

On December 12, 1933, Maple Leaf Ace Bailey's career came to an abrupt end when he was hit from behind by Eddie Shore of the Bruins, and hit his head on the ice, fracturing his skull; he convulsed on the ice of the Boston Garden. This occurred after Maple Leafs teammate King Clancy upended Shore with a hard check as the later player rushed up the ice. Angry, dazed, and thinking he was going after Clancy, Shore rushed at Bailey intent on revenge. Another teammate, Red Horner knocked Shore out cold with one punch after the incident. It was feared that Bailey would not survive after severely injuring his head. He came out of a coma for the second time 10 days later, making a full recovery, but did not play professionally again. When he was assured that Bailey would survive, league president Frank Calder suspended Shore for 16 games. An all-star benefit game was held at Maple Leaf Gardens on February 14, 1934, which raised $20,909 for Bailey and his family. Bailey and Shore shook hands and embraced at centre ice before the game began. Thirteen years later, the NHL introduced an annual all-star game.

On January 18, 1964, the defending Stanley Cup champion Maple Leafs lost in Toronto to the last-place Bruins by an 11–0 margin—the largest win of the rivalry and still the most lopsided shutout ever recorded against the Leafs.

The 1969 playoffs saw a four-game sweep by the Bruins. Game one at the Boston Garden was a 10–0 blowout, where Maple Leafs defenceman Pat Quinn bodychecked the Bruins' Bobby Orr in open-ice, knocking him out and leading to a bench-clearing brawl. The Maple Leafs Forbes Kennedy set records for most penalties in a game (eight), most penalty minutes (38, since bettered), most penalties in a period (six) and most penalty minutes in a period (34).

On February 7, 1976 in a game between Toronto and Boston at Maple Leaf Gardens, Maple Leafs centre Darryl Sittler set an NHL record that still stands by tallying 10 points (6 goals and 4 assists). All his points were scored against rookie goalie Dave Reece in an 11–4 Maple Leafs victory.