Given the recent history between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, it should come to the shock of no one that these two teams would need extra time to settle things in their first tilt of the 2019-20 season.
Boston twice battled from behind, closing a two-goal gap in the first period and again tying things up in the final five minutes to force overtime. But it was Mitch Marner that lifted Toronto in overtime to give the Leafs a 4-3 win at Scotiabank Arena and claim the extra point Saturday night.
Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and David Pastrnak each scored goals for the Bruins, while Morgan Reilly, Dmytrov Timashov, Alexander Kerfoot and Marner scored for Toronto.
Jaroslav Halak made 25 stops while Frederik Anderson countered with an outstanding 42-save effort.
The Bruins fell to 5-1-1 with the loss, while the Maple Leafs moved to 5-3-2.
Here’s how it all went down:
HIGH-FLYING FIRST
A wild opening 20 minutes saw the B’s and Leafs combine for 33 shots on net, but it was Toronto that went to the room with an early 2-1 lead.
Toronto jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Boston was able to get one back in the final minute of the period.
The Maple Leafs benefited from a bit of a fluky goal to jump into the lead. Morgan Reilly fired a puck toward a crowd in front of the net. The shot appeared to be going wide, but ricocheted off a body and deflected on net, where it somehow snuck under Halak.
Timashov doubled the lead at 15:44 with his first career NHL goal, a wrister from the slot.
DeBrusk got off the schneid and put the B’s on the scoreboard in the closing 30 seconds. Charlie Coyle hunted a puck out of a battle behind the net then fed a lovely backhand in front where DeBrusk was able to finish at 19:39.
Boston won the shot battle 18-15.
ALL B’s, BUT STILL BEHIND
Second periods have plagued the Bruins a bit in the early goings this season, but that was not the case Saturday. Boston carried the play through most of the middle 20, but were unable to even things on the scoreboard, trailing 2-1 heading into the third.
The Bruins held a 15-3 shot advantage in the period, and were unable to score on two power play opportunities.
Halak did come up big to rob Tyson Barrie with the glove on a point-blank opportunity following a turnover in the Boston zone.
The Bruins finished the period with 1:37 remaining on a Martin Marincin hooking penalty.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
Boston twice tied things up in the third period to force overtime and ensure a point.
The Bruins tied the score early on their suspended power play. Heinen got a great feed from Brett Ritchie, paused and then roofed a wrist shot that beat a down-and-out Anderson to make it 2-2 at 1:36.
It wouldn’t stay tied for long, as Kerfoot was able to scoop up a rebound chance in traffic in front of the net to make it 3-2 at 2:37.
The top line would come through in the clutch late.
Brad Marchand fed a cross ice pass to Pastrnak, who rifled a one-timer top shelf on the short side to make it 3-3 at 15:34.
LEAFS GET THE WINNER
It looked like there was a good chance Boston may have been headed for its second consecutive shootout, but a late OT winner from the Maple Leafs foiled the comeback effort.
Auston Matthews wheeled behind the net and then found Marner in the high slot. Marner beat Halak high stick save to put a cap on the win.
UP NEXT
Boston caps a home-and-home with the Leafs on Tuesday. Puck drop from TD Garden is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
