So who’s more desperate, the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Boston Bruins? A lot of Eastern Conference teams playing a better brand of hockey would absolutely love to think one of these teams is going to blow up and that they might be the team that makes the playoffs as a result.
Something will eventually give in the Atlantic Division, and if this is that year for Toronto, having just brought in Craig Berube, the shake-up would likely be a significant player move, while in the Bruins’ case Jim Montgomery is on the last year of his contract and now has former Boston protege Jay Leach on his bench. Should the Bruins not solidify the solid steps they seem to be taking from the leadership on down and achieve sustainable and tangible results in the win-loss columns, then we’ve seen this a hundred times before.
Tonight is about as big as an early-season game can be between these two “original six” and divisional rivals.
Bill Hay battles Gordie Howe at the Detroit Olympia. Hay, who helped the Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961 and later was GM of the Calgary Flames, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builders category, has passed away.
GAME BLOG
FIRST PERIOD
Electric atmosphere to this one, which is the featured game on Hockey Night in Canada.
Bruins have played well through 9:07 of the first period, generating several scoring chances and throwing some thunderous hits. They lead the Leafs in shots, 6-0, at the midway mark of the period.
Toronto killed off a Ryan Reaves interference penalty, now the Bruins have to kill of a penalty to Morgan Geekie… Toronto gets a 5-on-3 for 32 seconds after Johnny Beecher got caught hooking Max Domi rushing the puck through the neutral zone. Bad penalty.
Jeremy Swayman makes his first save of the game from point-blank range. The Leafs have generated four shots (all four of their shots so far) on this extended powerplay.
Toronto right defensemen make huge hits on Boston left wingers in the southwest corner of the rink on successive shifts, both away from the puck. The first was Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Trent Frederic, the second Philippe Myers on Beecher. Either could have called boarding or interference.
Rink Rap: I haven’t seen the Bruins pass up this many quality shots since last season. If this maddening habit is part and parcel of an overall recovery of the last two seasons’ style of play (hanging onto pucks), then who am I to complain?
Beecher carries down the middle and rips a wrist shot. Save Anthony Stolarz, but a nice reminder to his teammates that shooting the puck is one of several reasons the fourth line has been Boston’s most effective this season. Mark Kastelic crashed the net and shoved hard on Toronto defensemen protecting Stolarz’s space. Stirring the drink, as usual, Kastelic.
Shots 10-5 Boston after one period.
Rink Rap: Solid period for the Bruins, D-zone gaffs were limited, Swayman was excellent when needed, but a few pucks should gave gone to the net and were passed to teammates whose shooting lanes were too obvious or too late.
SECOND PERIOD
Auston Matthews works his magic. Swayman makes the save but Matthew Knies pots the rebound 35 seconds into the second period and it’s 1-0 Toronto.
Jake McCabe wipes out Beecher on the puck hunt and goes off for interference. Bruins to the powerplay at 2:31.
David Pastrnak ties the game with a one-timer from the left circle at the 2:57 mark, the culmination of a swift, clean puck-moving play by the Bruins. 1-1
Rink Rap: The Bruins needed the equalizer quickly and got it, thanks to a dumb penalty by McCabe.
Pastrnak followed up with an excellent fake, acting like he was going to smack the puck to the Toronto end but instead hit Pavel Zacha, who in turn made a nice move through the middle, then dumping the puck. The Bruins were set up to challenge possession in the attacking zone, but Mason Lohrei did not pinch when it would have been the move. The Leafs broke out on an odd-man rush, and Swayman had to do some of his best work so far to keep the game even.
Matching minors to Ekman-Larsson and Charlie Coyle turns out to be a break for the Bruins, who were in trouble when Lohrei couldn’t get off the ice and turned the puck over, then Pastrnak lost his stick in a puck battle. The Leafs pressed, but away from the play Coyle and Ekman-Larsson got tangled up.
Morgan Rielly puts Toronto ahead with a gorgeous tip of a shot/pass over Swayman’s stick-side shoulder on the 4-on-4 at 7:44. 2-1 TO.
William Nylander got the stick up on Pastrnak away from the puck, and though Pasta was down for several seconds no call was immediately made. Next stoppage, however, replay was reviewed and Nylander went to the penalty box with a double-minor at 8:24.
The Bruins will be up 4-on-3 for 47 seconds, then 5-on-4 for 3:13.
Powerplay was a dud, the fans are getting restless.
Bruins tie it with 7:22 left in the second, as Justin Brazeau finds paydirt on the rebound of Frederic’s shot from the low slot.
The fourth line delivers after a big hit and a turnover, Cole Koepke’s zone entry and shot leading to Beecher’s puck recovery and quick backhand feed to Kastelic with 6:47, and the Boston Bruins have their first lead, 3-2.
Swayman blocks Knies on a doorstep relay with 3:30 left in the second, as the intensity picks up at both ends of the rink.
Ekman-Larsson, for all his late-career ornery, let Koepke off the hook when the winger looked down for a slow-arriving puck up the boards. Class move by OEL. Now had that been Jacob Trouba …
Frederic to the box with 12.9 for crosschecking in the slot while the Bruins were under fire.
Toronto will enter the third period on the powerplay with 1:48 on the clock.
Shots are 22-16 Bruins after two.
THIRD PERIOD
Excellent kill by the Bruins, but the “vulnerable minute” (thank you, Jack Edwards) got a little hairy.
Matt Poitras gets a third-period shift and made a solid play when the Toronto defense stepped up to the blue line. Poitras stopped with the puck over the blue line and slid a nice pass to the left point man.
Pastrnak rushes the puck down the off wing and works his way to the left post, but Stolarz sealed it off.
Geekie turns the puck over in the middle, but the Bruins defense does a solid job boxing out and letting Swayman gobble up shots from the perimeter.
Nicholas Robertson to the box for tripping. Bruins huddle once again in the O-zone. They face a D-zone faceoff with 16 seconds left on the man advantage.
Rink Rap: Hard to imagine the Leafs, down a goal with 7:57 remaining in regulation, don’t get another powerplay before the clock hits 0.0.
Rink Rap: So if Elliotte Friedman is talking about a three-year extension for Brad Marchand, then how long – or is it how many wins – before coach Jim Montgomery gets his? And, BTW, Frederic is without a contract for next season and would be UFA next July 1. Don’t think his hometown St. Louis Blues aren’t watching closely.
Brandon Carlo loses a skateblade, the Bruins avoid a too-many-men penalty.
Poitras with a breakaway, shoots it right into Stolarz’s glove. Poitras showed some speed on the chance, gaining separation but not quite enough to deke.
4:40 left in the third, Bruins up 3-2.
Hand pass cancels an icing on the Bruins.
Rielly and Hampus Lindholm engaged in two zones of conversation after the Leafs iced the puck.
The Elias Lindholm-Pavel Zacha-Pastrnak line keeps the pressure on. Faceoff in the TO zone, and the Leafs ice it again. Same line returns for the new daw. The Leafs win it and get out.
Brazeau cuts off Stolarz’s clear, but cannot get past Mitch Marner.
At the other end, Swayman in position to gobble up Rielly’s flip from the slot.
Berube takes timeout with 2:05 in regulation.
Faceoff in the Boston end, Stolarz is out of the game for a sixth attacker.
Leafs win the draw, Swayman two giant stops.
Leafs win the next one, but Coyle blocks the shot. Bruins have an empty net but fan and go offsides.
Matthews tips home the tying goal with 1:17 remaining on a beautiful feed by Marner. 3-3.
Bruins get an O-zone faceoff with 1:01 left.
Toronto with a glittering chance to win it with 10 seconds left in regulation after the Bruins messed up their breakout. Swayman was caught diving and left an open side, the puck bounced.
That chance at an empty-netter is haunting the Bruins, who still have a shot at a win. Both teams come away tonight with at least a point.
Toronto has the puck for the first 1:39 of the overtime, Matthews missing from the slot as the home crowd held its collective breath. Swayman catches Marner’s shot, and the Bruins breakout.
Marchand rebound wins it at 2:26.
4-3,
Only pressure the Bruins had in the OT, and a solid third of the team went to Swayman to celebrate the win.
Drive safely. Be safe around the Garden.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 