It's safe to say that there has been no love lost between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs for basically the entire history of the NHL.
And one who has been at the front of the rivalry for the past 10 years or so, Brad Marchand, made a surprising statement about their divisional foes.
According to Beerly Hockey, the veteran had the following to say about the Leafs ahead of tonight's big matchup:
''It's a matter of time until they make a really good push and go deep. They're just too talented.''
It's quite surprising to hear something nice about an enemy come out of Marchand's mouth, but he is also one of the nicest guys off the ice.
He continued:
''You have to respect it, but they have definitely gotten better over the last number of years. They brought some D in that are much more defensively responsible, harder to play against, a little more physical and a little bigger. They are definitely improving, they are legit contenders this year.''
Marchand is a guy who knows what it takes to make a deep run in the playoffs, and what kind of teams are capable.