Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Jake DeBrusk and Trent Frederic had the other goals for Boston.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The Bruins got 28 stops from Jeremy Swayman, who made 35 saves in his team's 5-1 victory in Game 1 before giving way to crease counterpart Linus Ullmark in the Leafs' 3-2 triumph two nights later.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Matthew Knies replied for Toronto. Ilya Samsonov made 30 saves.
Boston Bruins' Trent Frederic (11) celebrates his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with Hampus Lindholm (27) and Brad Marchand (63) during second period action in Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Game 4 of the best-of-seven matchup goes Saturday back at Scotiabank Arena. Game 5 is set for Tuesday in Boston.
Leafs winger William Nylander took line rushes at the morning skate, but missed a third straight contest - the Swede played all 82 in the regular season - with an undisclosed injury.
Moments after the Leafs tied things 2-2 to send Scotiabank Arena into a frenzy and then nearly took the lead off a Swayman turnover, Marchard took a pass from Danton Heinen and ripped a shot past Samsonov's ear at 11:53 of the third.
Toronto pulled Samsonov for the extra attacker with just over two minutes to go in regulation, but Leafs captain John Tavares took a holding penalty with 64 seconds left before Marchand sealed it into the empty net.
Tied 1-1 through 40 minutes, DeBrusk bagged his third goal in as many games when he scored on a man advantage 67 seconds after the restart off a Marchand rebound when the Leafs lost structure on their struggling penalty kill.
Boston Bruins' Jake DeBrusk (74) scores on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) during third period action in Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Toronto's power play came over the boards a few minutes later, but couldn't connect despite a couple of great chances for Bertuzzi, slipping to 0-for-5 on the night and 1-for-11 in the series.
Bruins winger James van Riemsdyk hit the post on a partial break midway through the period before Bertuzzi tipped a Morgan Rielly shot off Boston defenceman Hampus Lindholm to tie the game 2-2.
Marchand - Boston's captain seemingly always in the thick of things at this time of year - responded just 28 seconds later to give his team a lead it would never surrender to re-establish home-ice advantage.
The Leafs opened the scoring at 13:10 of the second when the under-fire Mitch Marner - without a point through two games and the subject of intense media scrutiny - deftly moved past a defender and slid a pass for Knies to redirect upstairs on Swayman.
Samsonov stopped van Riemsdyk on a partial breakaway moments later, but the Bruins tied it at 17:37 when Frederic fired his second goal of the series in off the post on a shot the netminder will want back.
The play unfolded as Marchand and Bertuzzi got tangled up in the neutral zone, and moments after, Leafs star Auston Matthews was tackled behind Boston's net by Charlie McAvoy.
Toronto, which fell to Boston in seven games to open the 2013, 2018 and 2019 playoffs, was buzzing around the offensive zone on an early power play before the Bruins had the best chance on a short-handed Pavel Zacha breakaway that Samsonov turned aside.
Toronto defenceman Joel Edmundson made a crucial block with his goaltender out of position later in the first period on a David Pastrnak opportunity.
The Leafs had another fruitless power play before Tavares ripped a shot off the crossbar.
Toronto winger Max Domi then created a turnover behind the Boston net and nearly capitalized, but Swayman was there.
The home side brought some physicality as the period wound down, with Simon Benoit, David Kampf and Ryan Reaves throwing their weight around to raucous approval.
Matthews hit the post early in the second and had another chance on a Marner power-play setup. Samsonov then denied Pat Maroon at the other end before the teams finally broke through.
Famliar Surroundings
Van Riemsdyk, who was a healthy scratch for the first two games, suited up in a building he called home for six seasons with the Leafs from 2012-13 through 2017-18.
Schedule talk
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was asked about a playoff schedule that sees two days off on either side of Game 4.
“I would have rather been here Thursday/Saturday, if I'm being honest,” he said. “I think we're spending more time in Toronto than Toronto's spending in Boston.
“And we're the home team.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.