Brad Marchand scored twice, including the game-winning goal in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series on Wednesday.
Jake DeBrusk and Trent Frederic scored the other goals for Boston.
The Bruins got 28 stops from Jeremy Swayman, who made 35 saves in his team’s 5-1 victory in Game 1 before giving up to counterpart Linus Ullmark in the Leafs’ 3-2 win two nights later.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Matthew Knies responded for Toronto. Ilya Samsonov saved 30 times.
Trent Frederic (11) of the Boston Bruins celebrates his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with Hampus Lindholm (27) and Brad Marchand (63) during second period action in Game 3 of a Cup first round playoff series NHL Stanley Hockey in Toronto on Wednesday. , April 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Game four of the best-of-seven showdown begins Saturday at Scotiabank Arena. Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday in Boston.
Leafs winger William Nylander ran a line in the morning skate, but missed a third straight game (the Swede played all 82 in the regular season) with an undisclosed injury.
Moments after the Leafs tied things 2-2 to send Scotiabank Arena into a frenzy and then nearly took the lead on a Swayman turnover, Marchard took a pass from Danton Heinen and fired a shot past Samsonov’s ear at the 11:53 of the third.
Toronto brought out Samsonov for the extra attacker with just over two minutes left in regulation, but Leafs captain John Tavares was awarded a penalty with 64 seconds left before Marchand sealed the empty-net goal.
Tied 1-1 through 40 minutes, DeBrusk scored his third goal in as many games when he scored with a man advantage 67 seconds after the restart off a Marchand rebound as the Leafs lost structure on their struggling penalty kill.
Jake DeBrusk (74) of the Boston Bruins scores on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov (35) during third period action in Game 3 of a Stanley Cup first-round playoff series. the NHL in Toronto on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Nathan Denette
Toronto’s power play hit the boards a few minutes later, but failed to connect despite a couple of big chances for Bertuzzi, falling to 0 for 5 on the night and 1 for 11 in the series.
Bruins winger James van Riemsdyk hit the post on a partial break midway through the period before Bertuzzi deflected a Morgan Rielly shot off Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm to tie the game at 2-2.
Marchand, the Boston captain who is seemingly always in the thick of things this time of year, responded just 28 seconds later to give his team a lead it would never relinquish to restore home-field advantage.
The Leafs opened the scoring at 13:10 of the second when Mitch Marner, without a point in two games and the subject of intense media scrutiny, deftly slipped past a defender and slipped a pass for Knies to redirect up top to Swayman. .
Samsonov stopped van Riemsdyk on a partial breakaway moments later, but the Bruins tied it at 17:37 when Frederic fired his second goal of the series off the post with a shot the netminder will want to recover.
The play unfolded when Marchand and Bertuzzi tangled in the neutral zone, and moments later, Leafs star Auston Matthews was tackled behind the Boston net by Charlie McAvoy.
Toronto, which lost to Boston in seven games to open the 2013, 2018 and 2019 playoffs, was buzzing around the offensive zone on an early power play before the Bruins had the best chance on a Pavel Zacha breakaway that Samsonov detour.
Toronto defenseman Joel Edmundson made a crucial block with his goalie out of position later in the first period on a David Pastrnak chance.
The Leafs had another fruitless power play before Tavares fired a shot off the crossbar.
Toronto winger Max Domi then created a ball behind the Boston net and nearly capitalized, but Swayman was there.
The home team brought some physicality as the period wound down, with Simon Benoit, David Kampf and Ryan Reaves throwing their weight behind to raucous approval.
Matthews hit the post early in the second and had another chance on a Marner power play setup. Samsonov then denied Pat Maroon at the other end before the teams finally broke through.
Familiar surroundings
Van Riemsdyk, who was healthy through the first two games, suited up in a building he called home for six seasons with the Leafs from 2012-13 to 2017-18.
Schedule talk
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was asked about a playoff schedule that includes two off days either side of Game 4.
“I’d rather be here Thursday or Saturday, if I’m honest,” he said. “I think we spend more time in Toronto than Toronto spends in Boston.
“And we’re the home team.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2024.