Advantage Toronto.
The Maple Leafs answered the bell after a physical Game 2 and dialed things up as the series shifted to Toronto, claiming a hard fought 3-2 win on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs road a three-goal explosion in the second period to victory.
David Krejci and Charlie Coyle netted goals for the Bruins. Trevor Moore, Auston Matthews and Andreas Johnsson scored for the Leafs.
Tuukka Rask made 31 saves for the Bruins, while Frederik Andersen pushed away 34 shots for the Leafs.
The Maple Leafs now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Here’s how it all went down:
SCORELESS FIRST
It was an active first period, but neither team broke through in the opening 20 minutes. Boston held the shot advantage 15-10.
The Bruins led with four high-danger scoring chances, including a Brandon Carlo shot that rang off the post. Boston could not capitalize on their only power play opportunity in the first.
LEAFS LEAD BY ONE
Action picked up greatly in the second period, which included five goals, including three on the power play, and saw the Leafs take a 3-2 lead into the third period. Toronto outshot the Bruins 16-11 in the middle stanza.
The Leafs were unable to convert on a Charlie McAvoy penalty that carried over into the second, but held a ton of momentum and turned it into the opening goal.
Morgan Reilly threw a puck on net that Rask could not control, and lost track of behind him. Trevor Moore deposited the loose puck.
It took the Bruins just 52 seconds to answer. Jake DeBrusk won a puck below the net, and was able to muscle his way in front and get a shot off. The rebound kicked off to Krejci, who got just enough behind it to put it past Andersen.
The stalemate would not last all that long, with the Maple Leafs cashing in on a David Backes high-sticking minor at 10:00. Just 12 seconds into the man advantage, the Bruins got caught stacked up on one side of the zone, leaving Matthews all alone below the faceoff dot for an easy one-timed goal.
Toronto doubled up on another power-play opportunity. After a Matt Grzelcyk hooking minor, John Tavares fed a nifty backhand pass from behind the net to Johnsson, who lifted a backhand effort over the left shoulder of Rask to make it 3-1 at 17:12.
But it was the Bruins’ turn to strike on the power play next after a Jake Muzzin holding call at 17:45, with Coyle potting a very important goal to make it 3-2 with 38 seconds remaining in the period.
LEAFS HANG ON
Boston could not get their equalizer in the third period, with the Leafs claiming a monumental home win.
The Bruins got their first chance to even things up after a delay of game penalty on Nikita Zaitsev at 5:01, but Andersen stood tall.
Rask kept the bruins in it with a number of saves through the third period, but the Bruins would have no answer late for Andersen.
Boston played the final 1:28 with Rask pulled, but could not break through, with Mitch Marner coming up with a pair of blocked shots in the finals seconds.
UP NEXT
The series remains in Toronto for Game 4 on Wednesday. Puck drop from Scotiabank Arena is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
This Bruins Wrap is presented by Plainridge Park Casino.
