Final: Maple Leafs 4, Bruins 1

After losing 3-2 in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday night at Air Canada Centre, the Boston Bruins couldn't respond in the second of back-to-back games and lost 4-1 at TD Garden. The score doesn't indicate how well the Bruins played, but they couldn't capitalize on the power play and missed too many opportunities.



Bruce Cassidy decided to tweak the lineup a bit for tonight. Rookie forward Jake DeBrusk was a healthy scratch and Frank Vatrano was inserted into the lineup. Also, Rob O'Gara replaced Paul Postma.

"Jake's played well for us. Lately he's lost a bit of his energy, his legs," Cassidy said. "He's not going to be an effective player if he doesn't have his legs. If he has his legs, he is a very effective player. He might not always score, but he's on pucks and creating anxiety for their D. The last couple of games he's lost a little bit of that. I don't know if it's that time of year, so maybe a little tutelage up stairs might do him some good. Sometimes it helps players and other times it sets them back, so we'll find out."

Cassidy said he wasn't looking past tonight's game when asked if this would be more than one game for DeBrusk to watch from the press box.

"We're not down on Jake," he said. "We've talked about him all summer, about incorporating youth and sticking with the program, but tonight's an opportunity for him to learn from up top as opposed to playing the game."

In 15 games this season, DeBrusk has three goals and three assists for six points. He leads the team with a minus-10 rating.

Observations from third period:

Bruins need to find a way to convert on the man-advantage. Too many missed opportunities.

Vatrano's relentless play draws a penalty with 9:53 remaining in regulation and the Bruins down by two goals.

Huge kill for the Maple Leafs. Bruins generated two shots on the two-man advantage.

Smart timeout call by Cassidy.

Now it's a 5-on-3 for 1:07. Bruins have to capitalize.

Strong effort by Tim Schaller to draw a penalty. Huge power play for the Bruins.

Observations from second period:

Hello to our BSJ fans in Spain.

Leafs goalie Curtis McElhinney is playing phenomenal tonight. He just robbed Brad Marchand of a possible goal.

Boston's top line has been outstanding tonight.

Massive collision between the Leafs' Matt Martin and the Bruins' Anders Bjork at center ice. Both are shaken up. Martin goes right to the room and Bjork is being tended to on the bench. Once Martin applied the hit, he was quickly surrounded by Bjork's teammates but nothing happened because Martin was unable to protect himself.

Martin returned to the game and Matt Beleskey asked him to go. It wasn't much of a fight but the message was sent.

Vatrano's making the most of his opportunity so far tonight.

Jordan Szwarz's effort was outstanding to prevent an icing.

Beleskey is bringing the physical play tonight. He's crashing and banging. He needs more of that on a consistent basis.

Observations from first period:

Noel Acciari always plays with a purpose, but expect a little more emotion in his game tonight. His good friend and former teammate at Providence College, Drew Brown, passed away today. He was 25.

David Pastrnak is playing one of his better periods of late. He's dialed in tonight, folks.

I have no idea why some fans have issues with Kevan Miller. He's as solid as they come. Heads-up play by him leads to Boston's first goal.

Good response by the Bruins as Vatrano redirects a Torey Krug shot from the point and Boston's on the board.

Brandon Carlo's having a tough go of it the last two games. He's in the penalty box when the Maple Leafs make it 2-0.

Bad turnover by Carlo and the Leafs' Mitch Marner beats Rask for a 1-0 Toronto lead at 8:52.

Good awareness by Danton Heinen in the defensive zone to stifle a possible scoring chance.

Pastrnak playing with some edge so far tonight. He laid a good hit on Leafs' Nazem Kadri.

Here is the projected line combinations and defensive pairings vs. Maple Leafs

Forwards 

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

Heinen-Szwarz-Vatrano

Schaller-Nash-Acciari

Beleskey-Kuraly-Bjork

Defense

Chara-McAvoy

Krug-Carlo

O'Gara-Miller

Goalies

Rask

Khudobin