FINAL SCORE: Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 1
IN BRIEF: The Bruins got back on track in their first round series against the Maple Leafs by beating them down 4-1 and even the series. They will now attempt to reclaim home ice as they travel to Toronto.
BRUINS-MAPLE LEAFS SERIES: Series tied 1-1
FROM JOE HAGGERTY
Jake DeBrusk and Nazem Kadri have really been going at it for the entire game after Kadri’s “slewfoot-type” hit in Game 1. It culminated with DeBrusk drilling Kadri coming out of the Maple Leafs penalty box with a leg-on-leg hit that appeared to injure Kadri’s left knee. There was no penalty called on the play and the problems appeared to stem from Kadri attempting to jump out of the way of DeBrusk’s initial shoulder hit. It will be interesting to see if anything comes out of that play after the game is over. Kadri was fine, by the way and actually scored a Leafs goal in the third period, so the clutching at his knee after the hit may have been a little overdone. Kadri was eventually tossed from the game with a game misconduct after cross-checking DeBrusk in the head in the third period after the B’s forward had drilled Patrick Marleau into the glass by the Bruins bench.
Torey Krug crunched by Jake Muzzin against the side boards with a huge hit that knocked off Krug’s helmet, and left him dazed and crawling to try and get back to the Bruins bench. Krug went to the dressing room afterward and never returned to the game. If it’s a concussion that’s his second one in a matter of about a month and could spell some trouble for the offensive D-man. Either way it’s unfortunate that Krug is once again injured during the playoffs for the Bruins, and it remains to be seen how long he’ll be out for.
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The playoffs have finally started for the Bruins. Every member of the Bruins up and down the lineup was hitting, throwing the body and finally amped up to a playoff level of intensity, energy and execution in the first period. Even skill guys like David Krejci and David Pastrnak were throwing the body around and making some big hits, and Jake DeBrusk made it his personal mission to go after Nazem Kadri every chance that he got. They can’t play like that for every single period of the playoffs, but it was enough to build up a 2-0 lead after the first period that Toronto would never be able to come back from.
HIGHLIGHTS
COYLE FROM BACKES PUT B'S UP 1-0
MARCHAND'S ALL BUSINESS
HEINEN EXTENDS THE B'S LEAD TO 3-0
KADRI PREVENTS A SHUTOUT, B'S UP 3-1
ICING ON THE CAKE
UP NEXT
@ Maple Leafs, Monday, 7 p.m. (NBCS)
@ Maple Leafs, Wednesday, 7 p.m. (NBCS)
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