Final, Maple Leafs 2-1: We’re going to Game 7. The Bruins couldn’t score in the final half-minute, and that’s it. The B’s have a lot of work to do, with Game 7 less than 24 hours away.
Third period, 19:35, Maple Leafs 2-1: The Bruins just scored, but there’s still a long way to go.
Milan Lucic banged home a gorgeous pass from Jaromir Jagr, and they’re within one with 24.5 seconds to play.
Third period, 17:04, Maple Leafs 2-0: It just came very close to being a 3-0 game, but Tuukka Rask made a big save on Phil Kessel.
The Bruins’ fourth line tried to take advantage of that at the other end, and it had a chance when Gregory Campbell found Daniel Paille all alone on the right wing, but Paille put the one-timer chance right into James Reimer’s midsection.
It certainly looks like there will be a Game 7.
Third period, 13:19, Maple Leafs 2-0: The Bruins look like a tired team right now. That doesn’t bode well, considering the fact that an eventual Game 7 — which looks like a certainty right now — will start in less than 24 hours.
Third period, 8:59, Maple Leafs 2-0: The Bruins iced the puck at an unfortunate time, and it cost them dearly.
Patrice Bergeron was beat cleanly on a faceoff in the Boston end that led to James van Riemsdyk shot. Tuukka Rask couldn’t control the rebound, and that second chance was jumped on by Phil Kessel, who beat Rask with a backhander.
Third period, 6:59, Maple Leafs 1-0: The Bruins look pretty sloppy with the puck right now, but they did just get a pretty good chance to tie the game.
Tyler Seguin was the beneficiary of a Patrice Bergeron pass from behind the net that Seguin tried to beat James Reimer with, but Seguin couldn’t quite lift the puck enough.
Meanwhile, Johnny Boychuk made a fantastic play to break up a 2-on-1 a little bit before that to keep it a one-goal game.
Third period, 1:48, Maple Leafs 1-0: The Maple Leafs are the first on the board.
Dion Phaneuf just carried the puck up ice into the Boston zone, where he beat Tuukka Rask on the goalie’s glove side to give Toronto the lead less than two minutes into the third period.
Third period, 0:01, 0-0: The third period has begun.
Second period reaction: This has turned into a terrific hockey game.
The two teams are going back and forth at a much greater pace in the second period that’s been punctuated with some great saves from both James Reimer and Tuukka Rask. On multiple occasions, the two goalies stood on their heads to keep it scoreless, with Reimer making a couple of big saves on one of Patrice Bergeron’s line’s best shifts, as well as two glove saves from Rask on Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf.
The Bergeron line has been much better. It started the second period with a good shift that included some great forechecking from Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand. That has snowballed some, with that line combining for seven shots through two periods and a few scoring chances.
Claude Julien, after giving Dougie Hamilton some good ice time in the first period, has cut down on his time in the second period. Hamilton only played just three shifts for 1:31 in the second.
End second period, 0-0: The second period just came to an end after arguably the best save of this period.
Tuukka Rask made a tremendous glove save on a Dion Phaneuf one-timer from the left point.
Second period, 15:49, 0-0: This time it’s the Bruins’ third line generating their chances.
Rich Peverley did a great job of carrying the puck into the Toronto zone down toward the goal line, where he put a backhanded attempt on net that James Reimer got over to get a piece of and also was helped along by the post.
However, anything the Bruins are missing the net on or turning over is going the other way. The Maple Leafs are looking fast.
Second period, 12:04, 0-0: Things are starting to open up a little bit, and that has made for some more entertaining hockey. The two teams are getting up and down the ice, and they’re throwing some big hits.
Tuukka Rask continues to look very good, though. He made a big-time glove save on a streaking Phil Kessel a few minutes ago to keep the game scoreless.
Second period, 6:11, 0-0: The good news for the Bruins is that the Patrice Bergeron line just turned in a terrific shift in the Toronto zone.
That shift produced at least two fantastic chances, but James Reimer is carrying momentum over from Game 5, apparently. The Toronto goalie went across his crease to stop a Patrice Bergeron wraparound chance, and a few seconds later, he stopped a shot from the left point with his left pad.
He’s the reason it’s scoreless still.
Second period, 0:01, 0-0: The second period is underway.
First period reaction: Not a whole lot going on in the first period, and I get the feeling that Claude Julien won’t mind.
The Bruins were very efficient defensively in the first period, and that was reflected by the fact that the Maple Leafs only put seven shots on goal. More importantly, none of those shots were very good chances, as Tuukka Rask saw just about everything that was sent his way.
On the offensive end for the Bruins, however, there wasn’t much to be thrilled about. The power play was ugly once again, producing just one shot on two power plays, and that’s just the start. The B’s put eight shots on net in the first period, and like the Leafs, they were devoid of any real good chances. The Bruins did do a good job of getting in on the forecheck and tilting the ice. The first few minutes of the period look like the second half of the third period in Game 5.
Still nothing out of the Patrice Bergeron line for the Bruins. That line only attempted four shots in the first, and only two of those were on net. Brad Marchand only saw 3:49 of ice time.
End first period, 0-0: An ugly first period just came to an end with no score.
The Bruins couldn’t do anything with the ensuing power play on the James van Riemsdyk penalty, and that sealed the scoreless first period.
First period, 17:52, 0-0: There goes the Toronto power play.
James van Riemsdyk was just called for interfering with Tuukka Rask as the Toronto forward did nothing to avoid Rask after being pushed down. It looked like JVR may have even thrown his right elbow out in the process.
First period, 16:28, 0-0: The Bruins had started to play better after the midway mark of the first period, but they just took step backward, thanks to a Toronto power play.
Adam McQuaid tried to slow Clarke MacArthur behind the Boston net, which the Boston D-man did. However, he interfered with MacArthur in the process.
First period, 11:20, 0-0: Once again, the Bruins aren’t getting much of anything from any line that’s not the David Krejci line.
The line just got a couple of shots on net, with some good work up top from Dougie Hamilton and Wade Redden. The Bruins are out-shooting the Maple Leafs 6-3 in the early going. It’s been kind of sloppy on both sides.
First period, 4:18, 0-0: The Bruins got nothing on the power play, and they didn’t really do much of anything.
That was an ugly one, and the man-advantage goes by the wayside.
First period, 2:12, 0-0: The Bruins get the game’s first power play.
John-Michael Liles just flipped the puck over the glass, and the B’s get the power play.
First period, 0:10, 0-0: Finally, it’s time for hockey. The game is underway.
7:35 p.m.: Tyler Bozak appears to be out for Toronto. It will be former Bruins prospect Joe Colborne who takes his place.
7:25 p.m.: The Bruins’ forward lines are the same, according to pregame skate. They’ve been the same since Game 2.
Here’s what they look to be going with yet again:
Milan Lucic — David Krejci — Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Tyler Seguin
Rich Peverley — Chris Kelly — Jaromir Jagr
Daniel Paille — Gregory Campbell — Shawn Thornton
7:12 p.m.: Well, the Bruins threw a curveball with the morning skate defensive pairings, apparently. According to pregame skate, both Dougie Hamilton and Wade Redden are in the lineup. That means that not only is Matt Bartkowski out, but the Bruins will be splitting up the top pairing of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.
Here are the pregame D-pairings.
Zdeno Chara — Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg — Adam McQuaid
Wade Redden — Dougie Hamilton
7:10 p.m.: There were some reports circulating that Tyler Bozak might not be in the lineup for Game 6. If the pregame warmup is any indication, he’ll be playing. Bozak was out there for the pregame skate, and he was with his usual line.
6:56 p.m.: As we take in the end of the Capitals-Rangers game, we’re just a few minutes away from warmups in Toronto. That’s when we should know what the Bruins will do with their defensive pairs.
12:45 p.m.: The Bruins will not have Andrew Ference for Game 6 of their series with the Maple Leafs. The veteran defenseman didn’t even make the trip.
Claude Julien revealed Sunday after morning skate that Ference is “day-to-day” with something and that the D-man didn’t make the trip.
Here were the pairs at morning skate, according to the team’s Twitter account.
Zdeno Chara — Dennis Seidenberg
Matt Bartkowski — Adam McQuaid
Aaron Johnson — Johnny Boychuk
Wade Redden — Dougie Hamilton
The Bruins will obviously go with only six D-men. Aaron Johnson hasn’t played since March 30, so it’s unlikely he’ll be in. That means the final spot likely comes down to Wade Redden and Dougie Hamilton. That’s assuming, of course, that Matt Bartkowski is back in the lineup after playing in Game 5. Hamilton played Game 2 when Ference was suspended, while Redden sat out Game 5 with an undisclosed situation.
So there’s a lot to sort through there. Unsurprisingly, Julien said the lineup will be a game-time decision.
8 a.m ET: The Bruins have unfinished business, and if they’re unable to take care of it Sunday night in Toronto, it’s going to get really, really uncomfortable for the B’s.
Boston heads back to Toronto on Sunday night for Game 6 of the first-round series with the Maple Leafs, where the Bruins will make their second attempt to close out the series. Boston, which holds a 3-2 lead, had a chance to close things out Friday night in Boston in Game 5. The Maple Leafs came out with a desperate effort, however, and were able to come away with the 2-1 win.
For the Bruins, it’s time to channel some desperation of their own. The B’s were unable to do much of anything for about 50 minutes in Game 5, and it came back to bite them. They eventually tilted the ice in the third before Zdeno Chara finally broke through for Boston on the scoreboard, but it was a classic case of too little, too late.
Now the Maple Leafs head home to play in front of a rowdy Air Canada Centre crowd. Goalie James Reimer is coming off of his best game of the series in Game 5, where he made 40 saves, including 18 in the third period. The Leafs will need another big effort out of him if they want to extend the series. They’re certainly expecting the Bruins to come with a much better effort Sunday night.
“I’m sure that we’ve poked the Bruins,” he said Friday night. “And they’re going to be a very desperate hockey club come Sunday night, and we’ve got to be equally as desperate.”
If the Bruins aren’t desperate, they could very well find themselves heading to Game 7. There wouldn’t be much time for rest and contemplation, however, as Game 7 — if necessary — is scheduled for Monday night in Boston. They’re hoping that it doesn’t get to that.
Puck drop from Toronto is set for 7:30 p.m.
