5 Things the Toronto Maple Leafs Must Do to Cool Off the Red-Hot Bruins

Despite a slow start to the 2014-15 campaign, the Boston Bruins are back near the top of the heap in the competitive Atlantic Division.

The Bruins are riding a five-game winning streak, which means the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to need to be at their best on Wednesday night to pull out a win. 

As hot as the Beantowners have been, a Leafs win in regulation would see them tied with Boston with 20 points.

The Maple Leafs' play has been uneven, at best. However, with just two losses in regulation in the past 10 games, the team shows signs of being a playoff contender.

Let's take a look at five things the Leafs must do to cool off the red-hot Boston Bruins.

All stats can be found on NHL.com unless noted otherwise.

Make Tuukka Rask's Life Miserable

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Tuukka Rask is not a good goalie—he's an elite one. At his best, he's nearly unbeatable. 

If the Leafs play on the perimeter and don't create heavy traffic in front of him, there will be little chance of scoring more than once or twice.

Risking an interference penalty might even be in the cards by sending hard-nosed forwards like David Clarkson and Leo Komarov into the blue paint.

Despite his many talents, Rask is sporting a .909 save percentage this season, so he's been well below his career average of .927.

The Leafs' chances of winning are that much better if Rask is mediocre in this key matchup.

Play a Full 60 Minutes

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Yes, it's a cliche, but it is a truism. The Leafs must play a full 60 minutes against the big, bad Bruins if they have any chance of winning.

While the gap between these clubs may not be as large as it once was, the Bruins remain a talented team with quick-strike ability. In a recent contest with the improving Edmonton Oilers, the Bruins played about 10 minutes of inspired hockey in the third period, which was enough to pull out a win with three goals in mere minutes.

While the Leafs have scored at a good rate in 2014-15 with 47 goals in 15 games, the always stingy Bruins will be focused on playing a good road game. Expect the Bruins to keep things simple and attempt to frustrate several offensive-minded Leafs forwards.

If the Leafs take off a series of shifts, it could turn out very badly for the hometown heroes.

Focus on Strong Two-Way Play

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The Leafs have four players who have nine points or more. The Bruins boast eight such players.

Unlike the Leafs, the Bruins have a much more balanced attack that requires opponents to play strong defensively on every shift. That has not necessarily been a strength of the Leafs in recent seasons.

In other words, the Leafs will need to roll four lines and play all six defenders in trying to contain the Bruins. The Bruins boast size and speed, which is not easy to deal with for any opposing club.

Certainly, possessing the puck will help with this, but the focus must be on puck retrieval. The Bruins can wear you down like few teams in the Eastern Conference.

Phil Kessel Must Be Great

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Unquestionably, Phil Kessel is the most talented offensive player on either the Boston or Toronto rosters.

He's had an exceptional start to the 2014-15 season in posting 19 points. The Leafs need more of the same on Wednesday. Randy Carlyle will have last change and the added bonus of not having to deal with Zdeno Chara, who remains out with a knee injury.

This is a great opportunity for Kessel to put up some points against the organization that traded him to the Leafs. Don't be surprised if he's flying against the Bruins. Posting two or three points wouldn't hurt either.

Leafs Must Win the Goaltending Battle

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In the only meeting between these two clubs in 2014-15, it wasn't close. The Bruins won 4-1, with Jonathan Bernier giving up four goals on 25 shots. That .840 save percentage is not going to be nearly good enough if duplicated on Wednesday.

James Reimer has better numbers right now with a .925 save percentage versus Bernier's .913. Reimer has given up just 16 goals in seven appearances.

The Bruins will be firing from everywhere, and as always, there will be a lot of traffic for either Bernier or Reimer to deal with at the Air Canada Centre.

If the Leafs win the goaltending duel, the club should be in the mix for a much-needed win against a divisional foe.