The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally figured out the Boston Bruins as the head-to-head battles between the clubs this season wind down.

Alex Steen had three goals and two assists in a 10-2 rout in Boston Thursday night. The Leafs blew the game open late in the second with a trio of goals in 42 seconds.

Alex Steen, left, celebrates one of Toronto's many goals in Boston on Thursday. Steen had three goals and two assists in the 10-2 rout of the Bruins.
(Elsa/Getty Images)

"There has never been a doubt about his talent," Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice said of Steen. "There were questions to other parts of his game, but he has worked hard to improve those."

The Maple Leafs will next play Saturday when they host Buffalo (CBC, 7 p.m. ET).

Toronto (19-17-6) has beaten the Bruins twice this week, by a combined score of 15-3. Boston had won four of the first five meetings between the clubs this season.

Matt Stajan added two goals and two assists, with Bates Battaglia also netting a pair of goals. John Pohl, Kris Newbury and Chad Kilger were the other goal scorers.

Mats Sundin contributed an assist and now has six goals and four assists in a seven-game span.

Andrew Raycroft had his third consecutive solid outing in net, making 29 saves for the win.

Shean Donovan and Wayne Primeau scored for Boston (19-16-3), who have lost three straight. Tim Thomas allowed eight of the goals before being relieved in the third by Philippe Sauve, as Toronto fired 39 shots on the Bruin keepers.

"We are embarrassed. It was almost like we gave up," Bruins defenceman Brad Stuart said. "We weren't mentally or emotionally prepared and you can't go much lower."

Toronto achieved their offensive output despite playing without leading goal scorer Darcy Tucker, who has a swollen left foot. Nik Antropov (ankle), Michael Peca (knee), Alexei Ponikarovsky (shoulder), Andy Wozniewski (shoulder) and Kyle Wellwood (groin) remained sidelined.

"We have to take advantage of the ice time we get with the guys out of the lineup," Battaglia said. "Everybody needs to contribute."

The teams played on even terms for more than half the game.

The Leafs opened the scoring just under four minutes in when they worked the puck around the ice to lead to Pohl's snapper from the left face-off circle.

Nearly five minutes later, Donovan took advantage of some lax defensive coverage to skate into the slot and take a pass from behind the net from Primeau to tie the score.

Not long after, Primeau won a clean face off and headed to the net to deflect a point shot from Andrew Alberts past Raycroft.

Devereaux, who had two assists, has five points in four games since being recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Dec. 28.

The game was tied again within two minutes of the middle frame when Thomas gave up one too many rebounds during a bout of Maple Leaf pressure. Battaglia put the puck into a half-empty net past the diving Bruin netminder.

2 scoring sprees

With under five minutes left in the second, Toronto began the first of two scoring sprees in the game.

After a series of misplays by the Boston defence in its own end, Battaglia put home his second and the Maple Leafs never looked back.

From his own end, Ian White fed Steen, who squeezed between two Bruin defenders to beat Thomas for a goal just 18 seconds later. Raycroft drew the other assist, his first point as a Leafs netminder.

Newbury immediately got his second of the year to make it 6-2. Thomas coughed up an easy shot for a rebound, with Stajan pouncing on the puck and passing it to the goal scorer for the third goal in 42 seconds.

On Nov. 24, Toronto scored three goals in exactly one minute against Washington.

Fully deflated, the Bruins surrendered four more in the third. Stajan and Steen scored within 26 seconds, with the second-year Swede notching his first career hat trick.

"We've lost our mojo," Bruins coach Dave Lewis said. "This is caused by a combination of breakdowns, but even in the dark days we have to stick together."

Raycroft, traded by the Bruins in the offseason, is now 3-2 against his old team, giving up a total of 11 goals.

The clubs will meet for their final regular season game on Feb. 20 in Toronto.

With files from the Associated Press