Former Bruins Forward Will Miss Beating Maple Leafs

Jake DeBrusk recently left the Boston Bruins in free agency but says he will miss one particular rivalry.

Apr 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) skates against Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) during the first period in game two of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made the postseason in each of the last eight seasons but have only made it out of the first round once. Three of those first-round losses came against the Boston Bruins, who have become a sort of boogeyman for the Maple Leafs.

Jake DeBrusk spent the first seven years of his career with the Bruins, playing 465 regular season games as one of the most integral pieces of that team. Now a member of the Vancouver Canucks, DeBrusk says he’ll miss beating the Maple Leafs in the playoffs.

During an interview on the Cam and Strick Podcast, DeBrusk was asked about his playoff history with the Maple Leafs.

“It does feel good in the room, obviously, winning a series,” DeBrusk said. “Yeah, I do like beating the Leafs. It’s been fun.”

Jake Debrusk likes beating the Leafs “It’s been fun” ⁦@CamandStrick⁩ pic.twitter.com/RSkbCAdIsQ

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) July 17, 2024

DeBrusk spoke about how playing the Maple Leafs was never easy for the Bruins. Their first two meetings came in back-to-back years, 2018 and 2019, so the teams were mostly the same. This past postseason saw almost completely different rosters on both sides.

“It was definitely different, I guess, the third time playing against them,” DeBrusk said. “It makes it more fun. What’s better than two Original Six teams going at it?”

The Maple Leafs may consistently be one of the best regular-season teams in the NHL, but the early stages of the playoffs have always been unclimbable for them. The Bruins have had the fortune of defeating the Maple Leafs on three occasions, but all have gone seven games.

“Game 7’s are a coin toss,” DeBrusk said. “That series, as time goes on, it just gets harder and harder. The first round is a gauntlet. I think it might be the hardest.”

Not only have the Bruins and Maple Leafs gone to Game 7 in each of their last three playoff meetings (four if you count 2013), but this past matchup needed overtime.

Bruins forward David Pastrnak ended up being the hero for Boston, giving the Maple Leafs another heartbreaking first-round defeat.

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