We’ve got ourselves a series.
The Boston Bruins came out firing to begin the game and never looked back as they evened the series 2-2 with a 5-4 Game 4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena.
Boston jumped out to a two-goal lead early in the first, but allowed the Leafs to tie it the following period. But David Pastrnak potted two goals within 1:35 of each other to give the B’s back the lead once and for all. The Leafs certainly made it interesting, scoring two three-period goals in 1:35 to bring the game within one, but Boston held on to even the series.
Charlie McAvoy, Brad Marchand, Pastrnak (twice), Zdeno Chara and Joakim Nordstrom (empty-net) had the goals for Boston, while Zach Hyman, Auston Matthews (twice) and Travis Dermott accounted for Toronto’s tallies.
Tuukka Rask stopped 38 shots and Frederik Andersen turned away 25.
The Bruins tied the series at 2-2 with the win.
Here’s how it all went down:
B’S COME OUT STRONG
Boston came out more than ready in the opening 20 minutes, and that helped the Black and Gold have almost everything go their way.
McAvoy got the scoring started with a power play goal to put the Bruins up 1-0. Charlie Coyle found his teammate down low and McAvoy shot the puck top corner past Andersen.
But they weren’t done there, doubling their advantage just 3:35 later. Marchand appeared to be tripped at the blue line but no call was made, so the winger retaliated when McAvoy fed him a pass and tapped the puck in to make it 2-0.
Toronto had a plethora of opportunities to cut the deficit in half, including going on back-to-back power plays on interference calls. Boston killed off Patrice Bergeron’s penalty, but again went down a man just 15 seconds later when McAvoy was whistled for the same thing. The Maple Leafs failed to capitalize but managed to cut the Bruins’ lead in half just seconds after the power play expired.
Hyman deflected a Morgan Rielly shot to beat Rask stick side to make it 2-1.
The Bruins held a slim 14-12 shot advantage at the end of 20.
TWO HELPINGS OF PASTA
The Maple Leafs erased Boston’s lead just 1:07 gone from the middle period. Matthews snapped a shot from the top of the faceoff circle that found its way through Rask’s arm to make it 2-2.
The game wasn’t tied long as Pastrnak put his team up by one just over two minutes later. Pastrnak beat Mitch Marner to the puck and was able to tip in Marchand’s deflection to make it 3-2.
But No. 88 wasn’t done there.
Just 1:35 later Pastrnak doubled the lead on the power play after McAvoy took a high-stick to the face. Marchand backhanded a pass in the circle to his linemate and he let it rip and one-timed the puck by Andersen for the 4-2 lead.
Toronto didn’t go down without a fight and put plenty of pressure on Rask, but the B’s netminder stood on his head and made some timely saves to keep the Bruins’ lead at two, where it would stay for the remainder of the period.
The Maple Leafs had the edge in shots, 26-22.
BRUINS EVEN IT
Chara upped Boston’s lead to three with 14:21 left in the game to pull away from Toronto.
The captain showed tremendous patience with the puck at the blue line while Patrice Bergeron moved in to screen Andersen to open up a shooting lane for his teammate. He ripped the puck past Andersen to make it 5-2.
But the Maple Leafs quickly upped their game.
Matthews scored his second of the night on the power play to make it 5-3 with 8:08 to go when he was set up perfectly by Mitch Marner.
Toronto wouldn’t go away quietly and brought the game within one just 1:35 later on a Dermott rocket past Rask.
The Leafs had an empty net with over two minutes to play, but Nordstrom put the nail in the coffin with the empty-net goal with two seconds remaining.
UP NEXT
The B’s return home and look to bring the Leafs to the brink of elimination in Game 5 on Friday night. Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 7 p.m. ET.
This Bruins Wrap is presented by Plainridge Park Casino.
