Final: Maple Leafs 4, Bruins 2 -- Toronto shows life taken at Air Canada Centre (2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs)

(Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Final: Maple Leafs 4, Bruins 2 -- Toronto shows life

By Joe McDonald

Apr 16, 2018 • 7:04 pm

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TORONTO -- In a game where the Bruins definitely had their chances, especially in a third period where they largely carried the play, the Maple Leafs showed this will still be a series as they walked away with a 4-2 victory in Game 3.

The Bruins now lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 not until Thursday.

Boston looked to have Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen on the ropes early in the second period but for the second-straight game, the Bruins' scuffled to finish the frame as Toronto took a 3-2 lead on Auston Matthews' first goal of the series.

In the third period, David Pastrnak hit one post and was absolutely robbed by Andersen on a dive across the crease late in the third.

The Bruins outshot the Leafs 42-30, and Andersen made 40 saves as he steadied in the third period.

The Bruins' vaunted top line was a combined minus-7 as the Leafs took advantage of the last change to match Tomas Plekanec's line against the Bruins.

A look back at the game:

The Bruins enter Game 3 of this first-round series with a 2-0 lead over the Maple Leafs. Boston's top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak have combined for 20 points. That's more than eight teams -- Ducks, Avalanche, Kings, Devils, Flyers, Sharks, Maple Leafs and Golden Knights -- have so far in the playoffs. Pastrnak's nine points is more than both the Kings (8) and Ducks (5).

Thanks to our friend and stat guru, Ben Bouma, for this note: In games 1-2, the Bruins became the 32nd team in NHL history to score 12-plus goals at home en route to a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series (since they started 7-game series in 1939). Teams who scored the 12-plus have gone on to win 28 of the 31 series (28-3). It has only happened three times in the past 22 seasons and two of those three teams lost their series (2006 Montreal lost to Carolina, 2012 Philly beat Pittsburgh and 2014 Sharks lost to Kings). The Islanders did it three times during their 1981 playoff run to the Stanley Cup. Boston has not done it since 1982 in the second round vs. Quebec. Boston is 6-0 in their previous six series with 12-plus goals in games 1 and 2 (1969, 1970 2x, 1972, 1977, 1982). Observations from the first period


  • Let's see if Boston's grinder line can keep up with Auston Matthews' line in this game.

  • Matthews with a strong first shift.

  • I expect a relentless effort from Jake DeBrusk in this game. Bruce Cassidy challenged him after Game 2.

  • Tuukka Rask will be tested early and often.

  • Huge pile of snow in front of the Bruins' bench prevented an icing for Boston after Toronto had sustained pressure.

  • Rask finding the puck through traffic bodes well early.

  • Strong shift by David Krejci's line. Rick Nash will get one tonight. He's already had a couple of quality chances.

  • Bruins D-men when controlling the puck along the wall at the blue line are moving more to the middle tonight to get a shot.

  • Toronto players looking over their shoulders time and again when they know a hit is coming.

  • Rick Nash keeping his shifts short again.

  • Zach Hyman with an open-ice hit on Marchand the the ACC erupts.





  • Huge glove save by Rask on that last shift on a Andreas Johnsson one-timer.





  • Torey Krug does his best Pele imitation and kicks the puck into the seats.

  • Like this move by Cassidy to come right back with Krejci's line in the O-zone.

  • Kasperi Kapanen with a partial breakaway but the puck was on its edge and he couldn't control it and Rask made the stops.





  • Charlie McAvoy should check his blade after catching his skate on the pipe and knocking the net off.

  • Riley Nash going of for delay of game. Toronto with its first PP of the game.





  • And, just like that the Maple Leafs capitalize on James van Riemsdyk's goal to give Toronto a 1-0 lead.



Observations from the second period


  • Tomas Plekanec with a big, open-ice hit on Bergeron. He doesn't go down but it stunned him a bit to open the period.

  • Andersen nearly had an assist as he connects on a stretch pass with Kapanen but Rask makes the save on Plekanec.

  • Adam McQuaid will get credit on that goal that ties it at 1-1. That was similar to the goal he scored in the 2013 ECF against the Penguins.





  • That didn't last long as Toronto creates a odd-man rush on an indirect stretch pass and Patrick Marleau beats Rask to the five hole for a 2-1 Maple Leaf lead.

  • DeBrusk losing focus with his puck management.

  • What a smart play by Zdeno Chara. Fakes the one-timer off the boards, gains control, takes it deep and scores from the goal line on the short side to tie the game at 2-2.





  • Hyman in discomfort after blocking a Chara slap shot. Ouch.

  • Besides the goal, this is Chara's best game in the series so far.

  • Puck luck for the Bruins as Kapanen hits the post on a quality scoring chance. That thing hit square.

  • Bruins caught on a long shift in D-zone and Matthews collects his first goal of the series to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead. Pastrnak lost at least three puck battles along the wall on that shift.




  • Bad icing by Sean Kuraly. Dangerous to give the Leafs an O-zone faceoff right now.

  • Maple Leafs continually stretching the puck successfully.

  • Outstanding rush by DeBrusk but Krejci can't finish. Golden opportunity for the Bruins.




  • Andersen with some timely saves.

  • Bruins need to bank on their experience of third-period comebacks.


Observations from the third period


  • Marchand crashes the net and draws a penalty. Huge opportunity for the Bruins to get a power play with a clean sheet.

  • What a play by Bergeron and Rick Nash to get the puck to Pastrnak, who hits the post.




  • Pastrnak with another quality chance on the power play but can't capitalize.

  • Leafs kill it off.

  • Terrible timing for Pastrnak to complain to the ref about a non-call.

  • Bruins getting the opportunities just can't finish in front.




  • M

  • aple Leafs doing a good job of fronting pucks.

  • McQuaid takes a puck to the throat area. He's down and hurting.

  • He's staying on the bench and didn't go to the room.

  • Marleau makes it 4-2 as he finishes another odd-man rush.




  • Pasta gets completely robbed by Anderson on a diving stop. Bruins with the empty net down two with over two minutes left.




  • Timeout Bruins with 43.3 left.

  • All done.


Here are the Bruins' projected line combinations and defensive pairings vs. the Maple Leafs
Forwards
Defense
Goalies
Here are the Maple Leafs' projected line combinations and defensive pairings.
Forwards
Defense
Goalies

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