Bruins snap losing streak with win over Leafs

TORONTO — There’s nothing like the sight of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ blue and white to cure whatever is ailing the Bruins.

Riding a four-game losing streak punctuated by an embarrassing 5-4 shootout loss to Florida in which they coughed up a four-goal third period lead, the B’s captured a 4-2 victory over the struggling Leafs on the strength of Brad Marchand’s two third period goals.

After entering the third period tied 1-1, the Bruins came out of a wild opening 5:08 of the third with a 3-2 lead.

First, Brad Marchand scored just 11 seconds into the period when he scored off the rush, tapping home a fat Frederik Andersen rebound of his own shot.

But the Leafs drew even again at 3:56 with some good work behind the B’s net. Zach Hyman pushed the puck past Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy. John Tavares collected it on the right side of the net and, with the slot wide open, he hit Kasperi Kapanen. With plenty of time, Kapanen took a shot that Tuukka Rask got his blocker on but it trickled behind him.

But the B’s took their third lead of the game at 5:08, and again it was Marchand who pushed them ahead. During a line change, Coyle fed Marchand in the slot for a great chance. Andersen did well to get his glove on it, but Marchand kept coming and scored on his own rebound again.

This time, the B’s were able to protect the lead and Zdeno Chara sealed it with an empty netter with 1:30 left.

For the second game in a row, the Bruins were able to get out of the first period without giving up a goal in what was a fairly quiet, uneventful opening 20 minutes. But this time, the B’s were able to take a 1-0 lead.

Charlie Coyle gave the B’s the 1-0 advantage at 13:48 off a nice play by Matt Grzelcyk. Operating behind the Toronto net, the defenseman Grzelcyk hit the wide open Coyle with a pass at the bottom of the right circle and the Weymouth native buried it over Frederik Andersen’s glove. It was Coyle’s third goal of the season and first in three games as David Krejci’s right wing.

The goal also marked the 15th time in 21 games that the Leafs have allowed the first goal this season.

Interestingly enough, it looked like Coyle was in the process of taking a penalty on his previous shift when he got his helmet knocked off in the neutral zone and continued. A new rule calls for a player who loses his helmet to go to the bench, though it does allow some leeway for the player to remain on the ice if it’s a continuation of the play. Coyle pushed the refs’ judgment call to the limit before sprinting off the ice from deep in the Toronto zone.

Both teams each took a penalty in the first. The Leafs’ power-play was anemic, producing no shots but plenty of boos from the Scotiabank Arena fans. The B’s had some good looks on their advantage, but could not add to their lead.

Shots were even in the first, 8-8.

Unlike Tuesday, the B’s did not swell their lead to four goals before losing it. Toronto tied the game at 1-1 at 9:26 on Auston Matthews’ 14th of the year. Jake Muzzin took an aerial shot that was headed well wide until Matthews fully extended with his stick to deflect it down and between Tuukka Rask’s pads.

The officials reviewed it to determine if Matthews’ stick was below the crossbar and indeed it was.

The B’s had little going on in the second but were given an opportunity when Andreas Johnsson tripped Charlie McAvoy in the Boston zone. But the B’s could not cash in. The best chance they had was a bad angle shot from Danton Heinen hit the outside of the right post while Andersen was out of position.

The B’s also had to kill off a penalty, a slashing call to Patrice Bergeron on a good John Tavares scoring chances, and they were able to do so to head into the third deadlocked at 1-1.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2KoYLsa