BOSTON -- There is no need to stoke the fire burning inside Dmitri Khristich.  

The Maple Leafs forward has built up a lot of bitter emotions toward Boston Bruins general manager Harry Sinden in the past three months. 

Khristich, whom Sinden refused to pay a salary arbitrator's award of $2.8 million US, thus making Khristich a free agent on Aug. 8, wants to haunt the Bruins GM for his decision.  

"I'm just bitter at the (Bruins) management," Khristich said. "I have nothing against the team."  

The Leafs take on the Bruins at the FleetCenter tonight (7 p.m. TSN, TALK 640). It's the first meeting between the rivals since Khristich signed with the Leafs on Oct. 21, a three-year contract, that could be worth $10.29 million US if a fourth-year option is exercised. 

For Khristich, who led the Bruins with 29 goals last season, the bitterness runs deeper than Sinden's decision to walk away from the arbitrator's decision.  

Khristich also is miffed at the criticism Sinden directed at him for his play during the playoffs last spring. Sinden did his best Bobby Knight impression in undressing the feisty Ukrainian, who had three goals and seven points in 12 playoff games.  

"Hockey is a team game," Khristich said. "You win and lose together. If you are picking on one guy the next morning, it is wrong."  

Besides seeing how Khristich handles playing against his former tight-checking teammates, one of the more intriguing episodes of tonight's matchup will be how the Beantowners react to Khristich.  

"They are different fans than anywhere else," Khristich said. "They could go and cheer for me. I don't think they would go with Harry. He is not their favourite person."  

Khristich hasn't talked or seen any of his former teammates since a handful of practice sessions before the Bruins training camp opened. 

However, he does have a sense of this being a homecoming. His wife will join him for dinner at the home the couple keeps in the Boston area.  

Khristich is anxious for the game to get under way.  

"Usually when you play the team you used to play for you are more nervous than usual," Khristich said. "It will go away once the game gets going."  

Predictably, Khristich has hit a wall in terms of his play after riding his adrenalin early. He had three goals and three assists after the first five games, but now is pointless in the past three games. 

"With time, I'm getting better," he said.  

Quinn agrees his newcomer, like the rest of the team, hasn't been as sharp in recent outings. But playing in Boston should have Khristich pumped.  

"He was a pretty valuable player for them," Quinn said.  

"You never know why things happen. He wanted to play there and they probably wanted to have him. But then things disintegrated. I'm sure he will be sharp. He has been looking ahead to this game."