Star Power Looms Large For Bruins In Thrilling OT Win Over Maple Leafs

In rivalry matchups between talented teams, stars are expected to shine the brightest. The Boston Bruins got just that from their top players in their latest win.

David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand drove the Bruins forward with a goal each while combining for 18 shots in a 4-3 overtime win in Toronto over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

On a recapping episode of the “Morning Bru” podcast, NESN analysts Billy Jaffe and Andrew Raycroft discussed just how vital Boston’s top talent was, as was Toronto’s, in an electric game that marked back-to-back wins for the Bruins.

“The stars came to play, both teams stars came to play,” Jaffe said. “I don’t think there was a better player on the ice than David Pastrnak. I would say that Auston Matthews was right there. I thought Brad Marchand was excellent. (William) Nylander, I noticed, was good. (Mitch) Marner was good and at times John Tavares.”

With the game shifting into overtime, the star players had to log extra minutes on the ice and stepped up to do so, ultimately delivering the win for the Bruins.

“Every single one of the big guys played 22 minutes or more,” Raycroft said. “Someone was on the ice all night long, or at least after the second period, that you want to watch every night. That certainly brings the pace, energy and excitement up a level.”

After a defensive skid during a three-game losing streak, Boston has allowed just two goals over the last two games while finding timely looks in the offensive zone.

The Bruins look for a third-straight win on Sunday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. You can catch the game on NESN.