BSJ Playoffs Report: Bruins 6, Maple Leafs 4 - Pastrnak breaks through, B’s hold late to tie series taken at BSJ Headquarters (2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs)

(Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs

BSJ Playoffs Report: Bruins 6, Maple Leafs 4 - Pastrnak breaks through, B’s hold late to tie series

By Conor Ryan

Apr 17, 2019 • 10:45 pm

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Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 6-4 win over the Maple Leafs in Game 4 of their playoff series, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES:

B’s shuffle things up at forward: Bruce Cassidy didn’t take it off the table when asked on Tuesday, but based on his comments following Bruins’ practice, it looked as though Boston was committed to keeping its top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak intact for Game 4. That notion lasted right up until puck drop on Wednesday night, as Cassidy opted to split up his top line and start Danton Heinen with Bergeron-Marchand, while Pastrnak was slotted down with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk.

While Cassidy was willing to tinker with his top-six when necessary throughout the game, the new combinations certainly panned out for Boston. The Bergeron-Marchand-Heinen line generated a pair of 5v5 goals together, while Pastrnak buried his first of two goals on the night during a brief 1:07 stretch in TOI in which he was back up on the top line.

It might have been a bit unconventional, but Cassidy’s impromptu lineup shuffling accomplished its goal, as Bergeron, Pastrnak and Marchand tallied a combined six points in what was a 6-4 win for the Bruins. That’s a great sign for Boston in what is now a best-of-three series, while Heinen more than held his own up top with Bergeron and Marchand (66.67 CF%).

Leafs make things interesting late: While the Leafs and Bruins traded goals for most of the night, Zdeno Chara’s slap shot from the point appeared to be the final nail in the coffin for Toronto on Wednesday — giving Boston a 5-2 cushion with a little under 15 minutes left in regulation.

What seemed to be some extra insurance eventually turned out to be the game-winning margin, however, as Auston Matthews and Travis Dermott both scored less than two minutes apart to make it a one-goal game with over six minutes left in regulation.

While Boston’s penalty kill surrendered Matthews’ second goal of the night and a brutal shift from the fourth line and a D pairing of John Moore and Matt Grzelcyk led to Dermott’s goal minutes later, the Bruins’ defense was able to clamp down against the Leafs’ surge, with both the Bergeron and Krejci lines draining the clock in the offensive zone. Joakim Nordstrom added the empty-net goal with two seconds remaining to close out the win for the Bruins, who were out-attempted, 70-43, during 5v5 play Wednesday. Still, a win is a win.

FOUR UP

David Pastrnak: For as much as he’s struggled so far this series (zero goals, one assist through Games 1-3), Pastrnak certainly made the most of his chances on Wednesday — burying a goal on the man advantage while tipping a puck past Frederik Andersen during a brief stint up with Bergeron’s line in the second period. The Bruins will ideally want Pastrnak to generate a bit more if he sticks around on Krejci’s line, but a two-goal night is a great start for the skilled winger.




Marchand-Bergeron-Heinen line:
Pastrnak’s promotion back up to the first line did generate a 5v5 goal, but the Bruins have to be pleased with what their new-look top trio of Bergeron, Marchand and Heinen showcased up at Scotiabank Arena. In 9:21 of 5v5 TOI together, the trio were out on the ice for 14 shot attempts in favor of the Bruins and just seven against, while also scoring a pair of goals against the Tavares line.


Charlie McAvoy:
While he’s spent most of this series focusing on locking down the Tavares line, McAvoy was a force in the O-zone during the opening period — tallying a power-play goal and recording an assist in the span of 3:35. McAvoy once again showed flashes of a future franchise D-man, logging 23:13 of ice time and posting a 51.16 CF%.




Zdeno Chara:
Chara’s blast from the point not only stood as the game-winner — it also makes him the oldest defenseman in NHL history (42 years, 30 days) to score a game-winning goal in the NHL playoffs. Only two forwards older than Chara have tallied game-winners in the postseason —
Mark Recchi
(43 years, 125 days) and
Teemu Selanne
(42 years, 301 days).




THREE DOWN


Krejci line:
While the Marchand-Bergeron-Heinen line had plenty of success in their postseason debut, it wasn’t quite the case for the DeBrusk-Krejci-Pastrnak line. While the trio controlled possession near the end of the game when Boston needed to clamp down on the Leafs, the Bruins were out-attempted (19-11) and outshot (13-4) during the 10:54 in which that second line was out on the ice.


Fourth line:
This group desperately needs
Sean Kuraly
back in the lineup, as Cassidy sat them for extended stretches throughout the night as they struggled to get out of Boston’s zone against Toronto’s bottom six. The Acciari line finished with a brutal 22.22 CF% and was scored against during the third period.


Grzelcyk-Moore pairing:
Not quite a smooth return for Moore — as Boston’s third D pairing was hemmed in for most of the night while skating with a sluggish fourth line for the B’s. In 9:13 of 5v5 TOI together, that D pairing posted a 20.00 CF% (out-attempted 16-4) and was scored against once during 5v5 play. Grzelcyk alone finished with a startling 12.12 CF% in 15:01 of 5v5 TOI — as he was out for 29 Leafs shot attempts, and just four for the Bruins. Woof.


PLAY OF THE GAME


He’ll want that goal from Matthews
 
back in the second minute of the middle period, but
Tuukka Rask
came up big with this pad save on
Connor Brown.
Rask finished with 38 saves in the win.




PARTING THOUGHT


Terrier to Terrier to Terrier. Have to say, I endorse this.




LOOKING AHEAD


The Bruins will now return to TD Garden for a pivotal Game 5, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. on Friday night. While Cassidy was more than comfortable with putting his lines in a blender throughout Wednesday’s win, he will be able to benefit from last change back on home ice — making matchups a bit easier for Boston.

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