BOSTON (AP) — Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron scored and Tuukka Rask stopped 30 shots to lead the Boston Bruins to a 4-1 victory over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night, tying the first-round playoff series at one game apiece.
Two nights after Toronto beat Boston 4-1 in the opener to steal away home-ice advantage, the Bruins dominated their Atlantic Division rivals, taking a 3-0 lead with a 29-16 edge in shots on goal into the third period. Charlie Coyle and Danton Heinen also scored for the Bruins.
Nazem Kadri scored the Leafs’ only goal midway through the third, and Frederik Andersen made 37 saves for Toronto, which returns home for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday nights.
Severely outplayed in Game 1, the Bruins responded from the start, calling upon speed and toughness they failed to show in the opener.
Coyle made it 1-0 less than five minutes in on a feed from behind the net from David Backes, who had been a healthy scratch in Game 1.
With four minutes to play in the period, Toronto defenseman Jake Muzzin failed to glove a lofted puck at center ice, and David Pastrnak retrieved it. He spun around and fed it to Marchand, who put it between Andersen’s legs to make it 2-0.
Another turnover led to Boston’s third goal midway through the second. After some bad passing in the Toronto zone, William Nylander wound up with the puck next to the net. He lost control of it and Heinen just poked it past Anderson’s skate to make it 3-0.
Kadri deflected a shot from Travis Dermott past Rask to deprive him of the shutout.
KNEE ON KNEE
Kadri had an eventful few minutes near the end of the second period.
He was sent off for hooking, and he came back on the ice just in time to sneak up on David Krejci from behind and poke the puck away before Kadri was knocked to the ice by a knee-on-knee hit from Jake DeBrusk.
Kadri went to the locker room favoring his left knee.
No penalty was called.
But Kadri was given a game misconduct for cross-checking Jake DeBrusk with six minutes left, leading to a five-minute power play for Boston. Bergeron’s goal made it 4-1.
GRONK IS A NATIONAL TREASURE
Rob Gronkowski got a huge cheer when he vigorously waved a Bruins flag before the opening faceoff. The retired New England Patriots tight end served as a fan banner captain along with Massachusetts Special Olympian Matt Millett.
UP NEXT
The series shifts to Toronto for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday night. Game 5 is back in Boston on Friday night.
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