TORONTO -- The Boston Bruins finished with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 on Thursday night at Air Canada Centre and now have a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven, first-round series.
The Bruins will have a chance to clinch the series on Saturday at TD Garden. Boston won the crucial game without Patrice Bergeron, who was scratched due to an upper-body injury. It wasn’t their best overall performance, but the Bruins still found a way to win. It helped that Tuukka Rask was sharp from start to finish.
Torey Krug, Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk provided the goals for the Bruins.
Game coverage
The Boston Bruins will be without the services of Patrice Bergeron for Game 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at Air Canada Centre. He did not participate in the pregame warmup and he's day-to-day with an upper-body injury. A few times during practice on Wednesday, Riley Nash took a few reps in the middle of Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, while Bergeron remained on the bench. When Bergeron was sidelined with a broken leg, the team went 9-2-2 without him, but that was during the regular season. When asked about Riley Nash taking a few reps in Bergeron's place during Wednesday's practice, Bruce Cassidy said this morning it was a way to manage the top-line center's ice time. Obviously, it was something more. "We're just managing Bergy a little bit," Cassidy said after the optional skate. "Riley's played there during the year, so we're playing around with some things." That means Sean Kuraly will center the third line with Danton Heinen and David Backes. Noel Acciari will center the fourth line with Tim Schaller and Tommy Wingels. I have no issue with Wingels in the lineup over Ryan Donato at this point. Wingels has Stanley Cup playoff experience and reached the finals with the Sharks in 2016.
Observations from the first period
- Huge opening shift by Riley Nash as he screens Freddie Andersen as Torey Krug scores to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 28 seconds.
28 seconds.
That's all the @NHLBruins needed to get on the board. ? #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/LjKFTkNwNL — NHL (@NHL) April 19, 2018
- Like how Cassidy comes right back with the top line on the third shift.
- Adam McQuaid didn't want an icing there but he had no choice after Maple Leafs' top line sustaining pressure.
- Jake DeBrusk bringing the physicality early.
- I'm a fan of Morgan Rielly's game.
- Krejci did the same thing in Game 3 and the O-zone turnover turns into a 2-on-1 the other way. Huge save by Tuukka Rask on Patrick Marleau.
- Matt Grzelcyk already having an huge impact.
- Tomas Plekanec ties the game at 1-1 with a shot from the high slot.
Tomas Plekanec scores his first goal as a Leaf, to tie the game at 1-1 pic.twitter.com/bjq5ArB3n2
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) April 19, 2018
- Great stick by Kevan Miller to cut off the passing lane.
- Charlie McAvoy taking a beating in front of the net.
- Line changes haven't been smooth for the Bruins.
- DeBrusk going to the box for hooking. With no Bergeron to kill penalties, Riley Nash and Schaller should see plenty of ice on the PK.
- Big kill for the Bruins.
- Krug needs to be a little more aggressive on that play.
- Heinen with a partial breakaway with 1:45 remaining in the period, but he fans on the shot attempt.
- Bruins need a huge pushback this period.
- Appears the puck got caught in a puddle and Rask mishandles it and it nearly leads to a Maple Leaf goal.
- A couple of quick offside calls on the Bruins. Need better puck management.
- Rask finds the puck through traffic in front and make a stop on Polak shot from he point.
- Terrible flow to start this period.
- Big glove save by Rask on Dominic Moore with 14:05 remaining. Chara fell and Maple Leafs created a 2-on-1.
- Seems like the Bruins stepped on cement between periods. Players falling all over the place. Either that or the ice is terrible, which could be the case.
- Miller and Chara as a pairing.
- Miller needs better coverage on his D-zone faceoffs.
- Rask being the Bruins' best defender against the stretch pass. Mitch Marner with a partial breakaway and the goalie makes the save with 10:55 remaining in the period.
- DeBrusk shaken up a bit after an open-ice collision with Zach Hyman.
- Chara with a little snow job on Andersen.
- Bruins D-men not chasing Toronto forwards into the corners as much tonight.
- Pastrnak and Marchand finish a 2-on-1 and give the Bruins a 2-1 lead with 3:05 remaining in the period. Sick pass by No. 88.
Brad Marchand gets the job done ?
Watch the #StanleyCup playoffs here → https://t.co/lZCQiJqZxg pic.twitter.com/EJ0VFWPEyg — NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) April 20, 2018
- Bruins need to close strong like they have so many times this season.
- Chara fronting pucks again in this game.
- Krejci and DeBrusk finish off a 2-on-1 to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead. Told ya he was going to score tonight.
JAKE DEBRUSK! THE BRUINS DOUBLE THEIR LEAD!#NHLBruins 3 - 1 #TMLTalk
(@NHLBruins Lead Series 2-1) pic.twitter.com/TKrcacwGiT
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) April 20, 2018
- In case you missed it: Chara logged 16:19 of ice time in the first two periods.
- Rask has been making himself big tonight with traffic in front.
- Rick Nash could use a goal right about now.
- Bruins have been stretching the puck more this period too.
- Wingels with a couple of big blocks tonight.
- McQuaid has had some really good moments and some not so good moments tonight. More good than not.
- Grzelcyk's foot speed has allowed him to get back on pucks for icing calls.
- Kuraly has played extremely well tonight.