The Boston Bruins begin their Eastern Conference title defence against an Original Six rival, as they host Game 1 of a best-of-seven series Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. Catch the game on TSN and TSN GO starting at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Considering the Bruins and Red Wings played in opposite conferences for decades, this playoff meeting is a rare treat for NHL fans. In fact, the last time these Original Six foes met in the postseason was in 1957 when neither clubs current coaches were born yet. Boston and Detroit have met seven times in the playoffs with the Bruins taking four of those encounters, including the 1957 semifinal round matchup. The Red Wings, however, have won three straight in the regular season against Boston and seven of the previous eight encounters. Bostons only victory in the 2013-14 season series was a 4-1 home win back on Oct. 5, while Detroit beat the Bruins as recently as April 2, when it picked up a 3-2 regulation win in the Motor City. Still, heading into the opening round of the playoffs the Bruins are once again the team to beat in the Eastern Conference and perhaps the entire NHL. Boston, which in 2011 won its first Stanley Cup since the days of Bobby Orr, is not only the defending East champions, but it also enters this postseason as winners of the 2013-14 Presidents Trophy. The clubs 117 points were the most gained by the franchise since 1971-72 (119 pts) and Boston finished as the top team in the regular season for the first time since 1989-90. Despite heading into the postseason with a ton of confidence, the Bruins know they cant afford to look past their first-round opponent. Boston made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in three seasons last spring, but before it fell in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Bruins nearly lost in the first round to Toronto. The Bruins blew a 3-1 series lead against the Maple Leafs and needed to overcome a 4-1 third-period deficit in Game 7 to get past Toronto. It marked fourth straight Boston was a fourth seed in last springs matchup with Toronto, but the Bs shouldnt expect their No. 1 standing in the East to instill fear in the Detroit Red Wings this time around. It marked the third straight spring Boston went seven games in the first round. The Bruins beat Montreal four games to three in 2011 en route to its Stanley Cup title, but lost in seven the following season against Washington. "I dont know, it just seems to be the biggest battle for us and the hardest one to get through," Bruins forward Milan Lucic said of his clubs tendency to play long opening-round series. "I dont think its going to be any different heading into this series. So weve got to be prepared to bring our best because you talk about the last three years, you know the other team hasnt taken us lightly at all and theyve given us their best." Boston is known best as a big, physical team that is really tough to score against, but the club made considerable strides in the offensive end in 2013-14. The Bruins averaged just 2.62 goals per game during the lockout- shortened season before upping that scoring rate to 2.96 gpg in the 2013 playoffs. This season, Boston is third in the NHL with 3.15 gpg through 82 games and hopes to maintain that goal-scoring clip in the upcoming playoffs. Six Boston forwards finished the season with over 50 points this season. Leading the way on offense were David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron, the clubs top two centermen. Krejci dished out a club-best 50 assists to help him pace the Bs with 69 points, while Bergeron had 62 points and tied winger Jarome Iginla for the club lead with 30 goals. While Bostons forwards contribute to their clubs overall stinginess on defense, immense blueliner Zdeno Chara and steady goaltender Tuukka Rask get most of the credit. Rask is coming off a Vezina-caliber season, going 36-15-6 with a 2.04 goals against average and .930 save percentage. The 27-year-old Finn is looking to follow up his award-worthy campaign with another strong postseason. Rask was the anchor for Bostons run to the Cup Finals last spring, recording a 1.88 GAA and .940 save percentage in 22 playoff games. The 6-foot-9 Chara is a unique talent who combines size and skill to create havoc at both ends of the ice. The 2008-09 Norris Trophy winner has a booming slap shot and recorded 17 goals and 40 points over 77 games this season and Bostons captain has racked up 54 points (13 goals, 41 assists) over 129 career playoff games. The Red Wings may have moved from the Western Conference to the East prior to the 2013-14 campaign, but the end result was the same as Detroit qualified for the playoffs for a 23rd straight season. On paper, Detroit doesnt match up well with the mighty Bruins but the club doesnt figure to be an easy out so long as Mike Babcock is behind the bench. Babcock has been to the Cup Finals three times as a coach, winning it with Detroit in 2008, and also has led Team Canada to Olympic gold medals at the last two Winter Games. Last spring, the coach helped the seventh-seeded Red Wings eliminate the Pacific Division champion Anaheim Ducks in the first round. He also had the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks on the ropes in Round 2, but the Hawks won three straight to oust Detroit in seven games. This season, Babcock guided his club to the playoffs despite the club dealing with considerable injury problems all along the way. Detroit enters the playoffs reasonably healthy compared to other points of the season, but the club will begin the first round without captain Henrik Zetterberg (back surgery), fellow forwards Dan Cleary (sprained knee) Stephen Weiss (sports hernia surgery) and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (finger surgery). Star forward Pavel Datsyuk also was limited to only 45 games this season, but he returned to the lineup earlier this month and is ready to go for Round 1. The Russian has amassed 103 points (36g, 67a) over 140 career playoff games. Faced with injuries to numerous key veterans, young forwards Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar stepped up for the Red Wings in a big way down the stretch. That was particularly true of the 24-year-old Nyquist, who led Detroit with 28 goals this season in just 57 games. Nyquist has two goals and three assists over 18 career playoff games, but he could be ready for a breakout postseason after showing Babcock and the hockey world what he can do with increased playing time. Tatar, 23, added 19 goals and 20 assists in 73 games for the Red Wings this season. However, the young Slovakian winger has never skated in an NHL playoff game. As a whole, Detroits offense ranked 16th in the league this season with just 2.65 gpg. Niklas Kronwall is the clear No. 1 defenseman for Detroit in front of No. 1 goaltender Jimmy Howard. Kronwall has done a superb job of replacing fellow Swede Nicklas Lidstrom in that role. Lidstrom, of course, retired following the 2011-12 season, leaving seven Norris Trophy wins and a Hall of Fame legacy behind him. Kronwall led Detroit in average ice time with 24 minutes, 18 seconds of action a game. His 49 points (8g, 41a) more than doubled the offensive output of the clubs next- best defenseman Danny DeKeyser, who had 23 points on four goals and 19 assists. Howard, meanwhile, is coming off a mediocre regular season that saw him go 21-19-11 with a 2.66 GAA and .910 save percentage. The 30-year-old American had posted a 2.13 GAA in each of the previous two seasons and his save percentage was .920 or better in both campaigns. Over 42 career playoff games, Howard has compiled a 2.57 GAA and .918 save percentage. The injured Zetterberg led the Red Wings with three goals during the season series, while Tatar had two goals and two assists. Nyquist added two goals and a helper, while Howard was 1-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA. Rask struggled to a 1-3-0 record and 3.29 GAA in four games versus Detroit, while no Boston player had more than one goal in the series. Reilly Smith led the Bruins with four points -- all assists -- in four games. Boston, which also will host Detroit in Game 2 on Sunday, was an impressive 31-7-3 as the home team this season. The Red Wings were 21-15-5 on the road. Projected Bruins Lines Lucic - Krejci - IginlaMarchand – Bergeron - SmithFlorek - Soderberg - ErikssonCaron - Campbell - Thornton Chara - HamiltonMezaros - BoychuckKrug - Miller Projected Red Wings Lines Abdelkader - Datsyuk - Franzen Alfredsson - Helm - Jurco Tatar - Sheahan - NyquistMiller - Glendening - Legwand Kronwall - SmithDeKeyser - QuinceyLashoff - Kindl Brayden Point Lightning Jersey .Balotelli uploaded on Instagram a picture of the video-game character Super Mario, with whom the Italy international shares a nickname, with text around the image including jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew. Braydon Coburn Lightning Jersey .com) - Nathan MacKinnon scored the winning goal in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. http://www.lightninghockeystore.us/Vince...avalier-Jersey/. PETERSBURG, Fla. Louis Domingue Jersey . "This is my city," the Toronto native said upon his arrival Wednesday night. And the 35-year-old former league MVP says he is hoping to making 2014 a memorable year. Nikita Kucherov Jersey . Mauer struck out to end the inning, with a runner on third base in the seventh on Wednesday and the Twins trailing 1-0. Everybody does this, of course, in a sport with a 30 per cent success rate at the plate long proven to be a benchmark of excellence.PHOENIX -- Edwin Encarnacion says Chase Field is "one of the best" places to hit in the majors. Of course he should feel that way. The Toronto slugger homered for a record fifth straight time at the Arizona ballpark to help the Blue Jays beat the fading Arizona Diamondbacks 10-4 on Tuesday night. "Eddie hits everywhere," Toronto manager John Gibbons said, "but he hits really well here." Rajai Davis, Adam Lind and Moises Sierra also homered for the Blue Jays, who jumped out to a 5-0 lead in two innings off Wade Miley (9-10). Toronto clinched its third straight series. The Blue Jays have won five of six and seven of nine. "Its been a tough year for us but were playing some good baseball right now," Gibbons said. "Weve got some young guys in there that are contributing, bringing some energy. The bottom line too is when you pitch, youve got a chance, and thats pretty much what weve been doing lately." The Diamondbacks have lost three straight and five of six, all at home. Adam Eaton, Didi Gregorius and Miguel Montero homered for Arizona, which fell eight games behind Cincinnati for the final NL wild-card spot. Washington moved ahead of the Diamondbacks in the wild-card chase. "We have to figure out how to get something going," Eaton said. "It is called a grind for a reason and we cant put our heads down and pout about it. We have to get something going, some way and somehow and figure it out." Todd Redmond (3-2) allowed three runs and four hits in five innings for his second win in a row. "The offence did a great job tonight. Hats off to them," he said, "and I was able to keep the ball down and throw strikes." Encarnacion also doubled, singled and walked twice. Going back to May 2010, he has seven home runs in his past five games at Chase. "It surprised me when they told me that, but its good," he said. "You can see the ball good here -- I can see it." Miley didnt make it out of the second inning, allowing five runs and eight hits in 1 2-3 innings. Eaton had two throwing errors in left field, one of which led to an unearned run. Toronto got one run in the first on Brett Lawries RBI single, then added four in the second to bring a quick end to Mileys night. Kevin Pillar doubled with one out, then Redmond walked. Jose Reyes followed with a single but was picked off first base. That saved a run for Arizona because Davis sent Mileys 3-2 pitch over the wall in left-centre, a two-run shot that made it 4-0.dddddddddddd Encarnacion doubled and Lawrie got another RBI single to put the Blue Jays up 5-0. Miley walked Mark DeRosa and the Arizona left-handers night was over. Josh Collmenter came on and retired J.P. Arencibia to end the inning. Redmond was perfect through three innings before Eaton led off the fourth with a home run to the swimming pool area in left field. The Diamondbacks went on to get runners at first and third with one out in the inning, but Aaron Hill grounded sharply to third and Toronto converted the inning-ending double play. The Blue Jays got a run off Collmenter in the fifth when DeRosa led off with a single and reached third when Eatons throw from left field after Arencibias fly out sailed into the Toronto dugout. DeRosa scored the unearned run on Sierras double off Eatons glove at the wall in left-centre. Arizona cut it to 6-3 on Gregorius two-run home run into the right field seats off Redmond in the fifth. Another leadoff homer, this one in the seventh by Montero off Neil Wagner, cut the lead to 6-4. Gerardo Parra followed with an infield single, but was erased when pinch hitter Willie Bloomquist grounded into a double play. Encarnacions towering home run off Will Harris in the seventh put Toronto up 7-4. Toronto blew the game open in the ninth. Linds pinch-hit home run off left-hander Eury de La Rosa made it 8-4, then Sierras two-run shot, his first homer of the season, put Toronto up 10-4. The shortstop Reyes threw A.J. Pollock out from his backside after knocking down a sharp grounder in the first inning. He said he had done that only once before, also in Arizona when he was with the New York Mets. Notes: The Diamondbacks recalled 3B Matt Davidson and C Tuffy Gosewisch and selected SS Chris Owings from Triple-A Reno. Owings was the PCL player of the year. LHP Matt Reynolds was transferred to the 60-day DL to make room for Owings on the 40-man roster. ... Owings grounded out as a pinch hitter in the fifth in his major league debut. ... Toronto recalled RHP Kyle Drabek from Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays also selected LHP Ricky Romero, RHP Jeremy Jeffress and C Mike Nickeas from Buffalo. LHP Luis Perez returned from a medical rehab assignment and activated from the 60-day DL. ... Randall Delgado (4-5, 3.67 ERA) goes for Arizona and Mark Buehrle (11-7, 3.92) for Toronto in the series finale Wednesday afternoon. ' ' '