Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-1 win over Toronto in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:
Box Score
HEADLINES
Bruins sock Leafs in the mouth: After getting out-hustled and out-muscled in Thursday's Game 1 loss, Bruce Cassidy opted to add a bit more size and snarl to the lineup when he inserted David Backes into the forward corps. The power forward did his job — throwing his weight on the forecheck and setting up Charlie Coyle’s opening tally at 4:44 in the opening period. But the rest of Boston’s roster apparently got the memo after getting bullied around by the Leafs two days ago. In what was a dominant opening stanza for the B’s, Toronto was knocked all over the sheet, unable to solve a suffocating forecheck in the O zone while getting hemmed into the neutral zone by a much more aggressive defense for Boston.
By the end of 20 minutes, the Bruins had themselves a 2-0 lead, while holding a commanding 21-6 edge in shot attempts during 5v5 play.
Boston did not let up for the remainder of the night when it came to making things uncomfortable down low for the Leafs, with even skill players like
David Krejci
(three hits, one roughing penalty) and
David Pastrnak
(four hits, one charging penalty) battering Toronto en route to a 4-1 win.
After Boston managed to both shoot itself the foot with poor puck play and get into a track meet for most of Thursday’s loss, the B’s turned the tables on Toronto Saturday, getting the Leafs to fall into the kind of scrapfest that they are not going to come out on the right side of it this bad blood continues all series.
B’s lose bodies on blue line:
In a game featuring plenty of post-whistle scraps and heavy hits, it was a given that both clubs were not going to escape Game 2 unscathed. Toronto appeared to lose its third-line center at the end of the second period when
Nazem Kadri
banged knees with
Jake DeBrusk
while coming out of the penalty box — but despite how severe the initial hit was (based on Kadri’s reaction), he was back out for the start of the third and made his mark on the game in multiple ways (more on that later).
Despite taking a few haymakers to the face, the Leafs can at least find a silver lining in that none of their players were knocked out of commission by way of injury. The same can’t be said for Boston — as the B’s lost two of their six defensemen throughout the course of the game.
Already up by a pair of goals, the Bruins lost their offensive spark plug on the blue line in
Torey Krug
, who was flattened by
Jake Muzzin
midway through the second period. While he attempted to get back on his skates, Krug was clearly dazed from the collision and exited the game for good. Add in the departure of
Connor Clifton
in the closing minutes of the third, and Boston could have some major vacancies on their roster, especially with
Kevan Miller
and
John Moore
still sidelined.
DeBrusk and Kadri have at it:
If there ever a brouhaha that was set to boil over, it was going to be between DeBrusk and Kadri,
. Once Kadri returned for the start of the third period, one had to assume the worst — especially for a repeat offender like Kadri known for his retaliatory hits.
Sure enough, Kadri dropped DeBrusk with a cross-check to the face at 14:03 in the final stanza, causing the B’s winger to exit the game and Kadri to leave with a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
From a Bruins perspective, you have to be concerned, as DeBrusk noted postgame that he underwent concussion testing and clearly seemed out of it after taking the hit up high. If you’re the Maple Leafs, you have to be livid. Not only did Kadri’s five-minute major lead to a
Patrice Bergeron
power-play goal and seal a win for Boston, but it seems like a given that Kadri is going to sit for a long, long time — especially now that’s been offered an in-person hearing by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. For the second straight year, it looks as though Kadri will get the boot against the Bruins, and it could be for an extended stretch.
FOUR UP
Charlie Coyle:
He hasn’t scored too much since coming over from Minnesota, but Coyle was Boston’s best forward in Game 1, landing three shots on goal from Grade-A areas and pinging another pair of attempts off the post. Coyle was finally rewarded in the opening period on Saturday, firing a puck past
Frederik Andersen
to open the scoring on the night. He finished with three shots on goal and plus-2 rating over 15:16 of TOI.
David Backes:
Backes did what was asked of him and then some on Saturday, landing seven hits over 12:12 of ice time while setting up Coyle’s goal with a nice forechecking shift in the first period. The veteran leader set a physical tone that continued to snowball throughout the night.
Acciari Line:
After
John Tavares’
line got the better of the Bergeron line in Game 1, Cassidy opted to roll with a bit of heavier trio to account for Toronto’s top options up front — setting loose the Nordstrom-Acciari-Wagner trio. In about six minutes of 5v5 TOI in which that line faced off against Tavares,
Mitch Marner
and
Zach Hyman,
Boston held a commanding 11-1 edge in shot attempts and 6-0 lead in shots on goal. They didn’t give them anything all night.
Zdeno Chara:
After getting exposed for most of Game 1, Chara rebounded against the Tavares line on Saturday, with the Leafs’ top trio only landing one shot on goal during 10 minutes of 5v5 TOI in which they were matched up with No. 33.
TWO DOWN
William Nylander:
After the Bruins were knocked for poor puck play on Game 1, Nylander managed to outdo the B’s tonight.
Nazem Kadri:
With his in-person hearing, Kadri has a chance to be suspended six or more games for his cross-check on DeBrusk.
This about sums it up:
PLAY OF THE GAME
Make that 26 points for David Pastrnak in his last 15 games against the Maple Leafs.
PARTING THOUGHT
TD Garden was already going to be bananas for a Saturday-night playoff hockey game.
Rob Gronkowski
certainly added to the bedlam.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Bruins will now head up to the Great White North to continue their series against the Leafs, with Game 3 set for Monday at Scotiabank Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. Expect plenty more nastiness going forward between these Original Six clubs.
