In Game 2, the Bruins Reverse Things On the Leafs and Even the Series With a Dominant 4-1 Victory

Even by its crazy standards, the first few days of the 2019 NHL playoffs have been absolutely bonkers. Who had the Lightning, Jets and Penguins all down 2-0 after the first two games of their series? For that reason, tonight was at least somewhat reassuring for Bruins fans as the team that looked nothing like themselves in Thursday's lifeless 4-1 Game 1 loss returned to TD Garden tonight and pummeled the Maple Leafs by the same exact score. Now the series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Monday (7, NESN) and Game 4 on Wednesday (7, NESN). We are guaranteed at least one more playoff game at the Garden-Friday (7, NESN).

The momentum swings within periods in a playoff contest are typically wild so it was nice to see Boston once again score first this evening but increase that to 3-0 midway through the second before Toronto avoided the shutout with a goal in the third by chief agitator Nazem Kadri (more on that bozo later). David Backes was inserted into the Game 2 lineup after being a healthy scratch for Game 1 and surprisingly Marcus Johansson was a last-second subtraction due to an unknown injury. Besides his predictable game-high seven hits, Backes made his presence felt immediately as he stole the puck behind Frederik Andersen's net (37 saves) and fed Charlie Coyle for his first playoff goal (8th career playoff goal in the NHL) as a Bruin at 4:44 of the first period. What a moment for the hometown guy (Coyle) who grew up in Weymouth and went to BU before being acquired earlier this season in a trade from Minnesota.

Boston doubled its lead with a beautiful goal from some of their most skilled guys: Brad Marchand beat Andersen five-hole at 16:04 of the first period after David Pastrnak spun around and found him with a sick backhand pass after spinning around a Toronto defenseman. Marchand's first goal of this postseason was also the 22nd of his career with Torey Krug picking up the second helper. You knew that was officially Boston's night and not bumbling Toronto's when William Nylander gifted Danton Heinen what had to be the easiest (not counting empty-netters) goal of his professional career. Nylander coughed up the puck right next to Andersen and all Heinen had to do was poke it in at 10:39 of the second period for the 3-0 Bruins advantage. His first goal of the postseason and second of his career was unassisted.

The only negatives for the B's in Game 2 were worrisome injuries to Krug (possible concussion after he got rocked by Jake Muzzin) and Connor Clifton (undisclosed). This forced Boston to play with only four defensemen for part of the third period. After the game, head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't offer many specifics on those guys but he admitted that Steven Kampfer and possibly John Moore (if he's healthy enough to play) could be ready to jump into action for Game 3. Otherwise, they could be forced to call up somebody from Providence.

As usual, Kadri was in the middle of everything (both good and bad) for Toronto. He took a big hit from DeBrusk late in the second period then he basically jumped DeBrusk in the third after Jake had blasted Patrick Marleau with a clean hit. DeBrusk was banged up to begin with so his health will be another question mark for Monday. Given Kadri's recent history of stupidity (he was suspended last year in the playoff series vs. Boston for a game), he's already been offered an in-person hearing from the NHL Department of Player Safety at a date and time TBD. Like Marchand (who at least has cleaned up some of that grime from his game), Kadri is a valuable player not just a goon. It figured that he deftly deflected in Travis Dermott's shot from the point at 10:44 of the third period. Kadri's first goal of the postseason was also the third of his playoff career with Nylander picking up the second assist.

Any thoughts of a Toronto comeback were put to bed with a power play goal by Patrice Bergeron (2nd game in a row that he's done that) at 15:03. He has such an innate sense for putting in loose pucks around the net with Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk assisting on the 33rd playoff goal of his storied career. A Kadri suspension would have a major effect on Toronto which isn't super deep to begin with after its top two forward lines not to mention Austin Matthews' continued invisibility. Tuukka Rask (30 saves) had a really solid night for Boston, another good sign moving forward. The crowd at Scotiabank Place will be very loud for Games 3 and 4 but that shouldn't be a major issue for an experienced club like the Bruins. Taking a 2-1 series lead would also flip the pressure onto Toronto after their surprising Game 1 triumph. Regardless, I think I know what you'll be watching on Monday night.

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The Maple Leafs Never Trailed In Game 5, Stave Off Elimination With a White-Knuckle 4-3 Victory

Unlike the NBA playoffs where most teams pack it in when they are down two or three games, they say that the toughest thing to do in the NHL playoffs is to eliminate a team and while that old adage is somewhat flawed, it was definitely the case on Saturday night at TD Garden as Toronto beat Boston 4-3 to cut the Bruins' series lead to 3-2. Game 6 shifts back to the Air Canada Centre on Monday (7, NESN). When you look at the final stats, it's hard to believe that the B's lost: they outshot the Leafs 45-21 (including 20-5 in the 3rd) and had six power plays to one for Toronto.

Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen (42 saves, 2nd win of the series) was the star for Toronto and he was also helped by the fact that his teammates gave him multiple two-goal leads (2-0 and 3-1) and even a three-goal advantage to play with (4-1). You couldn't help but think of the epic 2013 playoff series between these clubs as Boston cut it to 4-3 early in the third period on Noel Acciari's goal but it wasn't to be as the Leafs held on for the improbable win. After Tuukka Rask was so brilliant in Game 4 (31 saves), it was only befitting of the roller coaster nature of the postseason that the next time out he was nothing like that. He made nine saves and allowed four goals before being pulled although to be fair, you can't really fault him for any of those tallies. At that point, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy was just looking for a way to spark his club and it helped as Anton Khudobin stopped all eight shots he faced in his NHL playoff debut. Before you can say goalie controversy, there is no doubt in the universe that Rask will start Game 6. Haha hopefully playing half of Game 5 will give him a little more energy.

The team that has scored the first goal has won every game of the series and that continued this evening as Connor Brown notched his first career NHL playoff goal at 6:36 of the first period. He batted the puck out of mid-air, assisted by Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman. Before the Bruins knew what hit them, it was 2-0 Toronto as Andreas Johnsson also bagged his first career playoff goal, assisted by Nazem Kadri (who returned from being suspended for Games 2-4) and Jake Gardiner at 10:12. Boston had only trailed once after the first period in the series and that came in Game 3 (their only loss).

The B's had outshot Toronto 15-6 in the first period but things seem to break their way when Jake DeBrusk's shot went wide of the net but David Backes was there to tap it in for an easy power play goal at 9:45 of the second period. Backes' second goal of the series was also assisted by Torey Krug. The problem was that Toronto responded 51 seconds later with a tally from Tyler Bozak (his 2nd of the series), assisted by Morgan Rielly and James van Riemsdyk. It was a backbreaking goal for the B's after it looked like they had swung the momentum back in their favor. JVR roofed one past Rask at 11:55 of the second which ended Rask's night (he basically sprinted to Boston's dressing room after getting off the ice). Mitch Marner (who's been Toronto's best player all series) and Bozak had the helpers on what turned out to be a game-winning goal for the UNH product (JVR).

Sean Kuraly potted a one-timer off a nifty backhander feed from Matt Grzelcyk at 17:18 of the second period. Kuraly's second goal of the series was also assisted by Acciari. Toronto was their own worst enemy for much of this contest as they repeatedly got stupid penalties to put Boston's top ranked power play (in the postseason) back on the ice. In fact, they survived a two-man advantage for 1:34 that ended shortly before Kuraly's goal. Boston was down two goals headed into the third period but with 33 seconds remaining on yet another power play, they had more than a flicker of hope. Boston couldn't have dominated the third in every facet (except on the scoreboard) any more as they outshot Toronto 20-5. Andersen didn't exactly make every save look routine or easy but credit to him for getting the job done. Acciari's classic fourth-liner goal (his 1st of the series; assisted by Tim Schaller and Krug) at 5:58 cut it to 4-3 Leafs but that's how it would end.

Tampa Bay did their job earlier today by knocking out New Jersey (3-1 in Game 5) when they had the first opportunity to do so. That means that regardless of who wins this series, the Lightning are looking at a few days off in the Florida sun. That doesn't sound so bad, huh? You could say that Rask and the B's stole Game 4 in Toronto and despite all the big leads, I think you could also say the same for the Leafs in Game 5. It was in Boston's best interest to end things tonight so needless to say, they really want no part of a Game 7 even though it would be back in Boston on Wednesday. When you have a chance end a series, you have to go for it (see: Winnipeg last night vs. Minnesota).

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The Bruins Blow A 2-Goal Lead In 3rd Period, Suffer A Brutal 4-3 Loss In OT vs. the Maple Leafs

If the Bruins hope to reach the postseason this spring, losses like the one they experienced on Tuesday at TD Garden simply cannot happen. Boston (26-18-6) was up 3-1 on Toronto (18-22-9) early in the third period but then they proceeded to cough that up as the Maple Leafs tied it with two more tip-in goals and won it on overtime thanks to P.A. Parenteau's backhander on the power play.

The B's (11-14-2) have found numerous painful ways to lose on their home ice already this season but this was a new low for them. The Leafs certainly play much harder under new head coach Mike Babcock (and they unveiled a new logo after the game!) but they possess very little talent. In fact, making this loss more stunning for Boston was the fact that Tuukka Rask (17-15-5; 31 saves) came in with a 14-3-1 lifetime record against Toronto while Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer (9-8-6; 39 saves) was 5-6-3. I guess it was fitting in a way since a Bruins win would have given them a season sweep after they had beaten the Leafs three times in a row for 2015-16.

It was the first game for both clubs since the All-Star break and Brad Marchand continued his great goal-scoring stretch. He added two more goals (his team-leading 21st and 22nd of the season) which gives him seven goals and one assist in his last eight contests. He put in a rebound at 9:37 of the first period, from Jimmy Hayes and Matt Beleskey. UNH's Daniel Winnik tied it at one with a tip-in at 9:56 of the second period. Roman Polak and Shawn Matthias assisted on Winnik's fourth goal of the season.

Boston came out flying to start the third as Marchand redirected a pass by David Krejci for a 2-1 lead 55 seconds into the frame. David Pastrnak had the second assist on Marchand's go-ahead tally. Just 26 seconds after that, Krejci poked in a loose puck for his 12th goal of the season and a seemingly comfortable 3-1 Bruins advantage. Torey Krug and Pastrnak assisted on Krejci's goal.

The Bruins were 21-2-2 when leading by two or more goals this season, although this marked the seventh time that they have blown a two-goal lead (5 in regulation & 2 in overtime). It wasn't anything fancy produced by the Maple Leafs in their unlikely comeback as they went to the dirty areas in the slot and redirected shots from the point. Their lone All-Star Leo Komarov cut it to 3-2 at 9:02 when he tipped in Morgan Rielly's shot. Polak picked up another assist on Komarov's 17th goal of the season. Boston apparently never really adjusted their defensive coverage as Nazem Kadri hurt them by doing the same exact thing: his tip-in came 2:29 after Komarov's. Former Bruins scrub Matt Hunwick and Komarov picked up assists on the emerging Kadri's 11th goal of the season.

Even before it fully unfolded, overtime had a sour taste for the B's as David Krejci was called for a holding penalty. Boston was able to kill that 4-on-3 Toronto power play for 1:23 but then Parenteau ended it by flipping in a rebound. Jake Gardiner and Kadri assisted on Parenteau's 12th goal of the season. In a stat which makes no sense whatsoever, Boston fell to 1-5 in overtime this season while they are 3-1 in shootouts. Huh? Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs picked up their first OT win (1-4) while they are 4-5 in shootouts.

The B's get a point from this debacle (you have to remember that) but no question it should have been two without breaking a sweat. Boston's supposedly cake schedule to start the second half continues as they are at Buffalo (20-26-4) on Thursday (7, NESN) then they host the Sabres here on Saturday (7, NESN). The Bruins have already been embarrassed by the Sabres earlier this season (6-3 in Boston on December 26) so I can't imagine that they would overlook them again. Plus, at this point there is nobody in the NHL that they can automatically pencil in a win against, especially at the Garden. Ugh.

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B's End 2014 in Disappointing Fashion: Rallying From 2 Goals Down Then Losing in a Shootout

By virtue of their frustrating 4-3 shootout loss tonight at TD Garden vs. Toronto (21-14-3), Boston (19-15-4) made sure that December of 2014 was their first losing month (5-6-3) since February 2012 (5-7-1). There is plenty to say about this one since Boston trailed 3-1 in the second period but rallied in the same frame to tie it then dominated the third and overtime yet still fell short.

This game meant extra since a win would have tied the Bruins up with the Maple Leafs in the standings, instead Toronto is now three points ahead and comfortably in the playoff picture (6th in the Eastern Conference) while Boston sits one point behind Washington for the last spot. Yes, just over half of the regular season remains but the more that time goes by, the harder it is for the B's to make up any ground on all these other clubs in the Northeast Division let alone the East.

Getting out to better starts and having more consistency for the entire game are two general areas that are killing the Bruins. Toronto jumped ahead 1-0 at 10:22 of the first period when Leo Komarov scored on a one-timer from the slot (his 5th goal of the season), assisted by Peter Holland who was behind the net. Phil Kessel drew an ultra-rare penalty shot but Tuukka Rask (18 saves) was able to stop it late in the first period. Kessel is now 1 for 3 in his career on penalty shots while Rask has stopped 4 of 6.

If you were in line getting a beer (it is New Year's Eve after all) or at the bathroom, you probably missed two goals that occurred before the first minute had passed in the second period. Carl Soderberg deflected in Reilly Smith's shot from the point 17 seconds in (his 8th goal of the season), a power play goal that tied it at one. Former UNH star James van Riemsdyk put Toronto in front again 31 seconds later as he finished off a lethal 2-on-1 with Phil Kessel for his 17th goal of the season.

Kessel's power play goal, his team-leading 18th of the season, gave the Leafs a 3-1 lead but this being Toronto, they couldn't handle a lead in Boston (sound familiar?). Jonathan Bernier (25 saves) played the role of James Reimer for the duration of the second as he let in a bizarre pair of goals. That's right, the Bruins got not one but two breaks that led to goals (when has that ever happened this season for them?). David Krejci's shot deflected in off Cody Franson for his fifth goal of the season at 15:28 than 2:03 after that, Torey Krug's centering pass (intended for Krejci) went off Komarov's skate by Bernier for his seventh goal of the season.

Boston outshot Toronto 9-2 in the third and 4-0 in overtime but they couldn't find the game-winner. Mike Santorelli scored in the first round of the shootout, Krug answered in the second then it took Nazem Kadri's goal in the fifth round to end it and send fans on their drunken but merry way. Hey, they cut down on my drinking time!

The Bruins end this huge three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) vs. the Senators (15-14-7) who are in much worse shape than them. Needless to say, Boston has to get two points from that contest, no matter how they obtain them.

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For the Bruins, the Playoffs Can't Start Soon Enough

It's been really slight but the Bruins have started to ease up a bit with the playoffs now less than two weeks away. This has resulted in their first losing streak in over a month. Tonight they fell 4-3 to the Maple Leafs in overtime at Air Canada Centre. On the one hand, Boston (52-18-7) rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third period (that's good!), causing heart attacks across Canada but they weren't able to finish the job as Nazem Kadri scored on a rebound to give Toronto (38-32-8) the two points they desperately needed (that's bad!).

The bright side for the B's is that unlike the Red Wings who beat them 3-2 on Wednesday (and have Pavel Datsyuk returning tomorrow night), the bumbling Maple Leafs don't look nearly as scary. Toronto has plenty of work to do just to get into the postseason so there is no need to worry about them.

With Chad Johnson (27 saves) in net, Boston never made it easy as they handed the Maple Leafs a goal and 1-0 lead six minutes in. Matt Bartkowski couldn't clear the puck that was in his skates so Paul Ranger (who should be on the Rangers) was there to put it in. Brad Marchand answered that 56 seconds later with his 23rd goal of the season from Patrice Bergeron. Tyler Bozak scored with 12 seconds left in the first period on a bizarre play: Phil Kessel threw it at the net (in the air) and it went in off Bozak's body.

Dougie Hamilton has been playing better lately, solidifying his role in the playoffs unlike last year but he had a major hiccup when he tried to pass to Zdeno Chara behind Boston's net. Kessel intercepted it and sent it out front to James van Riemsdyk who knew what to do for his 30th goal of the season. There wasn't much else to that period except Milan Lucic whaled on poor David Clarkson.

Speaking of Looch, he cut it to 3-2 at 5:03 with a blast of a one-timer (his 22nd goal of the season) from David Krejci and Bartkowski. Jonathan Bernier (25 saves) got hurt late in the third period, forcing that bum James Reimer to come in. Predictably, he gave up the tying goal almost immediately to Patrice Bergeron on a similar one-timer. Where have I heard that before with these particular teams? Bergeron's 28th goal of the season was assisted by Marchand and Kevan Miller.

It felt inevitable that Boston would win in regulation since they outshot Toronto 17-5 but Bernier and Reimer kept their team's flickering playoff hopes alive. The Bruins finished 2-2 on the road trip and they return to TD Garden on Saturday (1, NESN) to face the Flyers (39-28-9) who they topped 4-3 in a shootout last Sunday. Only six more games left in the regular season, the next step for the B's is to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

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Bruins Totally Redeem Themselves With A Game 7 OT Win That We'll Never Forget

Even after a lifetime of watching sports, there are always games and moments that stick with you forever. Tonight, the Bruins added themselves to my short-list of epic comebacks as they rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the third period at TD Garden then went on to beat the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime of Game 7. They advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals where they'll have home ice against the New York Rangers, their Original Six rival that they haven't met in the postseason since 1973.

No NHL team had ever lived to see another day after going down by three goals in the third period of Game 7 so it's only fitting that the B's would put themselves in that impossible situation yet still somehow find a way out. Patrice Bergeron was the hero for the B's, he scored the tying goal with 51 seconds left in regulation then the game-winner at 6:05. Boston actually scored the first goal (a key in Game 7s) at 5:39 of the first period as rookie defenseman Matt Bartkowski picked the perfect time to pot his first career goal. It was unassisted following a turnover along the wall by Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Franson.

Toronto answered right away when Franson tied it at 9:35 with a power play goal off a rebound. Franson put the Maple Leafs on his back, scoring the go-ahead goal at 5:48 of the second period with a blast from the point. The Maple Leafs appeared to put it away early in the third as Phil Kessel scored on another Tuukka Rask (24 saves) rebound at 2:09 then Nazem Kadri did the same at 5:29 after a 2-on-1. There can't be one Bruins fan that thought a team who had scored three goals total in almost three games could erupt for three in less than 10 minutes.

Nathan Horton got the momentum turning Boston's way when he scored on a wrist shot (his fourth goal of the series) at 9:18 from Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Toronto and James Reimer (30 saves) wanted to give the B's another goal but Boston didn't seem capable of putting another puck in the net. However with Rask pulled, Lucic (2nd goal of the series) trimmed it to 4-3 following a rebound (Reimer's old friend) on Chara's blast from the point. Bergeron had the second assist. The roof basically came off the Garden when Bergeron tied it, thanks in no small part to Chara's screen of Reimer. Rask was also on the bench for Bergeron's tying goal, the second time all season (Feb. 12 vs. Rangers) Boston scored twice with a goaltender pulled. Krejci and Jaromir Jagr assisted on Bergeron's second goal of the playoffs.

In overtime, it's all about getting the puck to the net. Usually, the deciding goal comes on a broken play, lucky bounce, etc. True to form, Bergeron's goal in overtime came following a loose puck and giveaway in front of Reimer. Bergeron put it over the Toronto goaltender who was out of position after a shot got blocked. The two biggest Bruins scapegoats for this series-Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand-showed up on that shift and they were credited with the most important assists of the seven games.

Game 1 vs. New York is Thursday (7:30 p.m., NBCSN) at TD Garden and Game 2 is Sunday afternoon (3 p.m., NBCSN) at TD Garden. The Rangers are coming off their own exhausting seven-game series, they rolled 5-0 against the Capitals tonight in DC (the first game won in the series by a road team). It doesn't get much better than Boston vs. New York (Red Sox vs. Yankees, Patriots vs. Giants), we already had a taste of it with Celtics-Knicks a few weeks ago. It's crazy that it has been so long since the Bruins and Rangers have met in the playoffs. Expect a low-scoring, very physical, long series dominated by the goaltenders. New York's Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the NHL and the Rangers can grind teams down with the best of them.

UPDATE 5/14: We still don't know the status of Dennis Seidenberg who only played two shifts last night before getting hurt. Today, Boston called up defenseman Torey Krug from Providence.

Adam McQuaid was nominated for the Masterson Trophy (given to overcoming injuries/adversity), Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Minnesota's Josh Harding were the other selections.

UPDATE 5/15: Patrice Bergeron was nominated for the Selky Award (defensive forward) which he won last season. Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Chicago's Jonathan Toews are the other impressive choices.

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Maybe Someday The Maple Leafs Will Figure Out How To Beat The Bruins Again

I can't imagine what it feels like to be a Maple Leafs fan these days knowing that the Bruins still completely own them. Boston (15-3-3) had lost two in a row while Toronto (15-10-0) had won three straight coming into tonight but none of that seemed to matter since the B's skated home from the TD Garden with a simple 4-2 win. Boston has won eight consecutive games against Toronto-the longest win streak ever for the B's against their Original 6 rival.

Patrice Bergeron (1 goal, 2 assists), Tyler Seguin (2 goals, 1 assist) and Brad Marchand (2 assists) continued to carry the Bruins' offense. They have put up 14 goals and 23 assists in the last nine games, I doubt there is any other line in the NHL that can say that. The ironic part is that they are designated as the second line but clearly they've been Boston's best now for at least a season and a half.

Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin (4-1-0) continued to be a steady option when Tuukka Rask needs a breather, he made 25 saves for the win. Toronto had played at home against Ottawa last night so they didn't have as much energy as usual (I guess) and their No. 1 goaltender-James Reimer-got the night off. Ben Scrivens made 21 saves but fell to 6-7-0.

Adam McQuaid and Mark Fraser fought 3:23 into the contest as the Leafs tried to exert their will against the Bruins. It was a good fight but that's not the approach I would take against the B's, especially in Boston. If I didn't know any better, I would conclude that the B's were toying with the poor Leafs as they scored a goal in the final two minutes of each period. Bergeron opened the scoring (his 6th of the season) at 19:07 of the first when Seguin drove to the net which made Scrivens leave a juicy rebound. Marchand had the second assist.

After a bad giveaway by David Krejci, who hesitated with a chance to shoot, Nazem Kadri cashed in his 11th goal of the season at 2:32 of the second period from Clarke MacArthur and Carl Gunnarsson. Toronto took advantage of a 2-on-1, Khudobin had no chance to stop it. Seguin and the B's responded with a doppleganger tally as he finished a 2-on-1 (his 6th goal of the season) with Marchand. Bergeron had the second assist at 11:09. Krejci's goal (his 6th of the season) turned out to be the game-winner at 18:03. Andrew Ference and Milan Lucic had the assists as Krejci battled in front of the net and was rewarded with a rebound.

The Leafs didn't entirely fold as Jay McClement tipped in a shot from Mikhail Grabovski with 5:08 left in regulation but Seguin padded his stats with an empty-netter. Toronto will have two more chances later in March to beat the Bruins, otherwise it might never happen. Haha I'm only sort of kidding, they must have zero confidence against the B's.

Speaking of headcases, the Flyers (11-13-1) are due for a visit on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m., NESN). It'll be the first Bruins game against Philadelphia this season and even though it's a matinee (which are often dull), you can bet those teams will make it interesting.

UPDATE 3/8: The Bruins recalled forward Jordan Caron from Providence (for the first time this season) and Chris Bourque cleared waivers so he'll play tonight in Providence.

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Good news for the Bruins: no shootouts in the playoffs and probably no Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not particularly good. Granted, they've improved by leaps and bounds over the last few pathetic seasons of their Original Six existence but they'll once again likely miss the playoffs in 2010-11.

For some unknown reason, Toronto (36-32-10) has given Boston (43-23-11) fits this season and last night's 4-3 shootout win at TD Garden for the Leafs wrapped up a 4-2 season series in their favor.

The Bruins didn't even play that poorly, albeit they gave up two one-goal leads, but it's clear that shootouts are still their biggest weakness. So let's thank the Gods and Gary Bettman that the stupid gimmick is not used in the playoffs.

Joffrey Lupul led Toronto with two goals and an assist while Phil Kessel had two assists in the win. Rookie goaltender James Reimer (19-8-4) continued to play well for the Maple Leafs, stopping 35 shots in the win.

Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist for the Bruins while goaltender Tim Thomas (33-10-9) made 28 saves in the loss that still earned Boston the fraudulent one point.

Luke Schenn gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead at 7:06 of the first period as his shot took a lucky bounce of Tomas Kaberle's skate and past Thomas.

Boston exploded for three goals in the second period. Marchand tied it up at 1 just 2:09 into the frame with his fifth shorthanded tally of the season (21st goal overall). He intercepted the puck at center ice, then skated in, fended off a Toronto player and beat Reimer. One of Marchand's best plays of the season in what has been a superb rookie campaign for Marchmont (inside joke).

David Krejci was the recipient of tic-tac-toe passing, scoring his 13th of the season at 3:08 from Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton.

Lupul evened it at 2 with a power-play strike at 7:06 from Kessel and Tyler Bozak. It was a nice feed from Kessel and Lupul basically whiffed but it went off his skate (unintentionally).

Andrew Ference gave Boston it's final lead at 3-2 with his 3rd of the season at 8:31. He jumped up on the play and his quick release coupled with a key deflection fooled Reimer. Marchand and Patrice Bergeron assisted.

These two teams clearly don't like each other and their constant battles after the whistle morphed into a heavyweight fight as Lucic took on Jay Rosehill in a lengthy bout in the second period.

Lupul tied it at 3 at 7:53 of the third period from Kessel and Schenn. A poor clearance by Boston put the puck on Lupul's stick and he roofed it over Thomas.

Nobody could find the back of the net in overtime, despite a bogus penalty shot awarded to Toronto, so the teams went to the shootout.

Tyler Seguin, Michael Ryder and Rich Peverley all were unsuccessful for Boston and Nazem Kadri beat Tim Thomas for the winner.

With the point, the Bruins are guaranteed of at worst tying for the Northeast Division title with Montreal.

Boston hosts Atlanta tomorrow afternoon. As I said last weekend after their no-show against the Rangers, the Bruins are horrible in afternoon games but you have to believe they have some extra motivation in this one.