Game 2: Leafs’ response

The Toronto Maple Leafs will put forth a better effort tonight to get the coveted split and take momentum home to Canada for Game 3 and 4 of this best-of-seven series against a Bruins team intent on cleaning up its zone entries and seeing if it’s possible to take a commanding lead in the series.

Linus Ullmark leads the Boston Bruins onto TD Garden ice for warmups, while Ilya Samsonov leads the Maple Leafs.

No sign of 88 in white (William Nylander).

The one and only Pete Sheppard shared this T-shirt photo with Rink Rap before the radio host settles in to watch tonight’s game from SW Florida.

FIRST PERIOD

The Maple Leafs are taking better care of the puck when they get it. Turnovers are going to be harder to come by for the Bruins tonight, but their own game looks to be in order. The one thing they are not doing is initiating body contact in the attacking zone the way they had in Game 1. That needs to change because the Leafs are throwing the body. The one big exception so far was David Pastrnak’s stiff-back reverse hit while shielding the puck against John Tavares, who knocked down Pastrnak in a head-on collision initiated by Pastrnak when Tavares had the puck moments later.

Toronto is soft-dumping the puck to the RW corner, where it must be fetched by Hampus Lindholm, Matt Grzelcyk or Kevin Shattenkirk. Lindholm had trouble on the last retrieval, and the Leafs had a scrum at the Boston net.

The Leafs have already done more pre-emptive boxing out in front of Samsonov than they’d done all of Game 1, when they were late to the party when they did cover.

Jake McCabe gets to uppity and goes at 9:52 for crosschecking Jakub Lauko to the ice. Boston gets a powerplay.

This is a big powerplay because, if the Leafs’ defensemen can rough it up and not pay a price, then they’ll keep doing it. No sooner did I look up from typing this and Morgan Geekie finished what Jack Edwards would call a “tic, tac, goal.” 1-0 at 10:18, assists to Marchand and Jake DeBrusk.

And, just like that, Toronto gets the tying goal 14 seconds later from Max Domi, 1-1. A second-effort rebound of an Ullmark save. Assist from Auston Matthews.

Bruins are getting a penalty: Johnny Beecher to the box for holding at 12:29. TO to the PP:

Ullmark on Matthews from the doorstep.

Ryan Reaves is imposing his muscle in mismatches. He knocked Shattenkirk several feet off the puck without actually knocking him down, then got into a shoving match with Maroon after the whistle.

Shortly before the Beecher penalty, the Bruins tried to respond to Domi’s goal by moving the puck quicker, making more snappy decisions like they had when in the attacking zone during the early stages of Game 1. The rhythm, however, has not been there because the Leafs are winning more pucks and being more deliberate with the puck, especially in their own end of the rink.

Shots are 13-7 Toronto with under 4:00 remaining in the opening period.

The Leafs are outplaying the Bruins decisively, repeatedly working over Boston’s LD’s and cycling out scoring chances.

Trent Frederic with a big hit on Simon Benoit below the Toronto net. The Bruins need much more of this in the second period.

They’re losing this game, 1-1.

Final seconds and Charlie Coyle puts a puck on net from the RW corner, and DeBrusk follows up banging at the rebound at the right post. Marchand arrives late, reaches in and Samsonov shakes off his helmet. No call, and the fans roar at the replay apparently showing insignificant if any contact.

David Pastrnak one-timer with 7.8 seconds left in the period makes it 2-1 Bruins. It’s their 10th shot against 14 for Toronto and the first period loses its doldrums in a matter of seconds and sends the Boston crowd into a frenzy at the siren.

Pastrnak goal from Zacha and McAvoy.

SECOND PERIOD

Toronto is trying to stretch the ice, but the Bruins are checking better in this period and have had some close calls that did not put formidable shots on net.

Lauko gets a look from a sharp angle that Samsonov smothers. Big conversation at the Toronto net.

Toronto with pressure in the Bruins zone, but sticks and skates get in the way. Matthews got off one shot on Ullmark but not at full steam. The Leafs are checking better as well.

The second period started with some open ice but has seen lane reductions and an increase in traffic. It’s tough sledding out there right now.

Joel Edmundson, the former Blues defenseman (and Pat Maroon’s teammate on the STL team that beat Boston in 2019), is becoming more and more of a factor in the physical game, especially along the sideboards.

So, of course, Edmundson ices the puck.

Frederic gets a shot off the draw in the slot, but it’s blocked. His second push is compromised as he contorts to find the puck in his feet and goes way wide right.

Ullmark fielded a long clear and tried to fire it back up ice, but it hit Andrew Peeke and bounced down. No Maple Leaf in the area.

Too many men on the ice on the Bruins with 7:59 left in the second period. Huge opportunity for Toronto to regain the momentum lost in the final minute of the first period.

Frederic is serving the bench minor.

Very close call for Toronto. Ullmark on Matthews, then on Bertuzzi.

Calle Jarnkrok is isolated in front bam-bam caught by Ullmark, who gets a roar from the TD Garden crowd after most fans with an opinion were disappointed not to see Jeremy Swayman back in the net for Game 2.

Jarnkrok’s attempt is under review.

The overhead replay did not give indication that the puck may have crossed the plane, and the officials confirm. No goal.

Bruins get the kill, thanks on this one to Ullmark.

Now for the vulnerable minute, as Jack Edwards puts it …

There is a disturbing game-mgmt pattern emerging, as Bertuzzi and Domi go around sticking Bruins after the whistle and the linesmen are right behind them making sure the Bruins doesn’t retaliate. It’s like watching professional wrestling in the ’70s.

The Leafs generate more pressure and earn a powerplay – Grzelcyk off for interference in the slot with John Tavares. TO back to the PP with 3:08 left in the second period.

Bertuzzi needs exactly 5 seconds to bat a rebound out of the air and in behind Ullmark, but the initial replay indicates a possibility he contacted the puck above the height of the crossbar. Another play under review … it looks like Bertuzzi caught this one too high. Confirmed – another no-goal for Toronto.

None of this matters, if the Bruins don’t pick up their battle game and their faceoff game.

DeBrusk went for the steal rather than the disruption, and Tavares buries a clean look from the slot with 1:34 left in the second period – 2-2.

Bruins have a push at the end.

Shots after two: 27-20 Toronto.

THIRD PERIOD

Toronto starts the period in the Bruins’ zone, but Ullmark easily gobbles up the shots.

DeBrusk gets a hard shot on Samsonov and Marchand rifles the rebound, save Samsonov.

Bruins with a second successful entry and zone time, but Matthews snuffs out Marchand’s shot attempt.

Matching minors on Reaves and Marion on their way to the benches. Not a powerplay as originally thought.

4v4 hockey for 2 minutes.

Zacha turnover in the Boston zone, Ullmark stops Nicholas Robertson from point-blank range.

Either the Bruins start winning their share of puck battles and improve puck management or else this game won’t even see overtime.

2-2 with 12:59 remaining in regulation.

Bruins are battling harder along the walls, but they ice the puck with 10:09.

Toronto wins the faceoff and Ullmark stops Matthews on the one-timer.

Matthews fields an aerial pass that McAvoy misses, dekes Ullmark and gives the Leafs their first lead of the series with 7:53 remaining in regulation. Assists from Domi and Ilya Lyabushkin.

Coyle and Lyabushkin get into it, first call on Lyabushkin, but Coyle takes a poke back and is also sent to the box, but Bertuzzi also sent to the box. Bruins to the powerplay with 6:03 remaining.

Maroon dumped in the corner on the zone entry, wants a call.

Bruins reorganize but the dump is intercepted. Every entry is a puck battle, Bruins lose their feet, puck goes down the ice, fans groan.

Finally Marchand has a look, but his shot doesn’t get through. Toronto gets the kill.

Time to keep an eye on Ullmark.

Matthew Knies fails to get a stick on the icing-tip pass, so the Bruins get an O-zone draw with no changes allowed Toronto. Knies gets this puck out.

Down to 2:00, and the Bruins have no rhythm. They pull Ullmark but ice the puck so he goes back in.

Fans are beginning to head for the exits.

Bruins hurl bodies at the hard-around, win a possession, thrown on net, massive scramble, Bruins complain that a Toronto skater illegally covered the puck inside the crease (which results in a penalty shot). No such call forthcoming.

Timeout Jim Montgomery with 48.9 seconds left.

Too many passes by the Bruins, who finally get it to Pastrnak. Samsonov is lined up perfectly to receive the delivery in his midsection.

Marner wins the puck out of the zone, last-second zone entry by McAvoy is blocked and the series is even. Toronto wins, 3-2.

They were the better team tonight.

Final shots: 33-29 TO.