For coach Bruce Cassidy, there’s no better way to gauge newcomer Hampus Lindholm than to see the defenseman against the type of competition the Bruins have faced since the trade deadline.
Lindholm’s first two games as a Bruin were against the Lightning (the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions) and the Islanders (a team that had won eight of 11 before running into the Bruins).
Lindholm was tested again Tuesday night when the Bruins hosted the Maple Leafs.
“You want to see him against the best,” Cassidy said earlier in the day.
The Maple Leafs (237 goals) have the No. 3 offense in the league behind Florida (261) and Colorado (250).
Their power play (29.2 percent) entered Tuesday as the league’s most effective.
“Toronto has a lot of high-end skill,” Cassidy said. “They’re coming at you, they’re attacking you one-on-one ..
So I think it’s good for him to see three different types of teams and see where he measures up and us to see how he measures up.”