It’s Era Night at TD Garden, where the Boston Bruins are taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs inside of 24 hours prior to tomorrow’s NHL Trade Deadline (Friday, 3 pm ET).
Many of the 2011 Stanley Cup champions are in the house.
Pretty cool to run into this guy downstairs just a few minutes before 7 pm …
The game itself will feature one of two Toronto deadline defense boosts, Ilya Lyabushkin, who is skating with Morgan Rielly in TO’s starting lineup.
Last we knew, the Bruins, implicated in rumor only, had not made any move beyond their participation of sending a 7th round pick to help complete a three-way trade. I still don’t know what the Bruins get for doing that. If I can clarify, I will in this space. Jake DeBrusk, BTW, is in uniform tonight.
A-I image by Daryl Vautour
Before tonight’s game, the Bruins are honoring the 2011 Cup champs in what is probably the final Era Night of the season.
FIRST PERIOD
This puck drops at 7:22 pm ET.
Calle Jarnkrok with a stiff hit on Brad Marchand coming out of the Boston zone. Marchand keeps his feet.
David Pastrnak fends off three crosschecks from Max Domi to make a play that ends up on Danton Heinen’s stick. Joseph Woll was down but sealed off the post.
Jake McCabe interferes with DeBrusk, knocking him down away from the puck, then when Marchand skated over Matthew Knies crosschecked Marchand in the kisser, knocking Marchand down (the fall was probably voluntary, but Knies’ action was egregious enough to warrant review. Both went to the penalty box, Knies for roughing.
DeBrusk faked shot and passed across to Pastrnak, who converted with 17 seconds left on the 5-on-3, and the Bruins led 1-0.
Just as the 5-on-4 was expiring, the Bruins made a hard dump off the glass that caught the stancion and went straight for the near (left) post, but Woll got his skate there in the nick.
Auston Matthews beat Morgan Geekie on a draw in Boston’s zone, and Mitch Marner cut to the slot and fired. Jeremy Swayman got it with the blocker. It was Toronto’s first shot on goal, a qualify look, coming 6:55 into the game.
A moment of 2011 inspiration, as the Bruins throw three hits inside of 5 seconds, taking over possession when the Leafs were trying to recover a soft dump.
Marchand and Charlie Coyle on the forecheck when Coyle throws a thunderous hit on Toronto defenseman Timothy Liljegren. The Bruins got a scoring chance out of it.
Bruins continue throwing the body, and Matt Grzelcyk knocks down Marner as part of it, but the Maple Leafs sustained an O-zone possession and Swayman had to make a couple of stops.
William Nylander can skate like few players, even in the NHL.
Leafs having their best segment of the period but are called for too many men on the ice at 18:39. Bruins to the powerplay.
Not a great powerplay from the Bruins, who are stuck on 10 shots for several minutes.
Shots after one: 10-7 Boston.
Ryan Reaves, serving the bench minor, has 39 more seconds in the second period.
SECOND PERIOD
Toronto pressure. McAvoy blocked a backhand shot and went down, stayed down. TO got off another shot that Swayman stopped, McAvoy up and to the bench and down the tunnel.
Nylander pivots to avoid Trent Frederic’s pursuit high in the Boston zone and loses the puck. Frederic is fresh and hold the puck to the slot, firing between Woll’s wickets to make it 2-0 at 4:16.
Charlie Coyle gets a double-minor for slashing and high-sticking 5 minutes into the period. It’s a 5-on-4 for four minutes unless Toronto scores (or takes a penalty).
Danton Heinen made a nice play to pick up a loose puck on the PK but made a sloppy pass to a tired Marchand. Toronto relayed quickly to Marner who beat Swayman to get the Leafs cooking and make it a 2-1 game.
Frederic to the box for holding the stick. Leafs to the powerplay at 9:27.
John Tavares fans from the slot. DeBrusk defends Auston Matthews’ attempt to move the puck to the slot.
Scrum at the net, Swayman gets involved. Two fights, Bobby McMann in a mismatch with Grzelcyk and brief Bruin Tyler Bertuzzi against Parker Wotherspoon. TO with a pair of decisions.
Fourth-liner Noah Gregor gets a tripping penalty with 5:12 left in the second period, but the Bruins pour in like it was a leg-check (still haven’t seen a replay). Scrum ensues. Morgan Geekie goes for roughing so 4v4 in front of the goalies. Woll, BTW, going for a drink when Swayman mock-intercepts him with a slight push. Woll turned his head but that was it.
Tavares penalized apparently for high-sticking Mason Lohrei, who has played a helluva hockey game so far. Bruins 4v3 for 1:22, then 5v4.
Geekie converts on the powerplay with 11 seconds left on Tavares penalty. Bruins lead 3-1 with 2:44 left in the second period.
Carlo flings the puck at the net from the center point. Woll can’t find it. 4-1 Bruins with 1:37 left in the second.
This has largely been Toronto’s game since the Bruins’ adrenalin-fueled start and first 9 shots in the first half of the first period, but their opportunism has mitigated the Maple Leafs’ surges.
Second-period shots: 10-10 (20-17 through two periods).
THIRD PERIOD
Nice job Coyle setting the screen on Carlo’s goal, Tavares with him in front of Woll.
McAvoy takes out Bertuzzi, interference call. TO gets an early-period powerplay just 18 seconds in.
Carlo mocks Jarnkrok for throwing his head back at contact in front as if he’d gotten high-sticked.
Justin Brazeau just tossed down McCabe.
Domi arrives late to hit Marchand on the boards, goes at him anyway. Swayman skates to center and goads Woll. Domi to the box for roughing at 5:29.
Bruins extend possession but play dangerously with the puck around the blue line. Pastrnak’s shot deflected into the screen, probably the best-case scenario given the fatigue on the ice.
TV timeout with 11:40 remaining. Bruins lead 4-1. Shots are 22-22.
Jakub Lauko ices the puck, Leafs win the draw and apply pressure, but their apparent goal with 5:43 remaining is immediately ruled a kick-in.
Bruins fourth line playing keep-away and checking when they don’t have the puck. Another minute off the clock in what looks more and more like a 4-1 victory.
Domi attacks McAvoy. McCabe ties up Frederic, who would like Domi or Bertuzzi (who grabbed Heinen). This is getting very ’80s.
No extra penalty on Domi. Ridiculous.
OK, 1:10 left. I think we’re done here.
Drive safely.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 