The Boston Bruins got the bounce-back performance they needed by coming away with a 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.
The Bruins improved to 36-13-14 while the Maple Leafs, who entered the contest having won nine of their last 10 games, dropped to 35-18-8.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Bruins took a fire extinguisher to the red-hot Maple Leafs and did so with a complete effort.
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The Bruins got strong goaltending, a stout defensive showing and scored on the power play while Boston's penalty kill made the Maple Leafs come up empty on four man-advantage opportunities. Heck, the Bruins even protected a third-period lead.
This was the version of the Bruins they showed continuously at the beginning of the season, but one that hasn't been present much since the All-Star break. It's also the way the Bruins need to play during the stretch run and into the playoffs.
After the New York Islanders routed the Bruins on Saturday, Boston needed a big-time response. And they got exactly what they were looking for. That had to make Jim Montgomery happy.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- David Pastrnak didn't score any goals, but showed he's a terrific set-up man. The Bruins star finished with three primary assists as he dished out pretty passes on goals from Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha.
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-- Jeremy Swayman repeatedly stonewalled Toronto's high-octane offense. Swayman recorded 32 saves to notch his 20th win of the campaign.
-- Zacha was a game-time decision after leaving the loss to the Islanders with a lower-body injury, but he wasn't held back by any ailment. Zacha scored two goals -- a power-play goal in the second period and a key insurance tally in the third -- and now has 14 on the season.
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WAGER WATCH
Geekie continued his career-best season by opening the scoring with a goal 9:43 into the first period. FanDuel Sportsbook set Geekie's odds of finding the back of the net at +400. A $100 wager on this prop bet would have netted a total of $500.
UP NEXT
The Bruins head right back home for the second leg of a back-to-back against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
Featured image via John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
