Fired-up Bruins bury Maple Leafs in standings with latest win
Breadcrumb Trail Links NHL Hockey Boston Bruins’ Pavel Zacha scores on Maple Leafs’ goalie Ilya Samsonov in the third period in Toronto on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Photo by FRANK GUNN / THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content
Forget the bear hunt this spring, the Maple Leafs are buried in a Groundhog Day movie plot, their playoff path remains on repeat.
advertising 2
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
SIGN UP TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or log in to continue your reading experience.
Access items from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join discussions in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Receive email updates from your favorite authors. article content
Wednesday night’s 5-2 loss to the Bruins at Scotiabank Arena, despite keeping their big guns off the board, gave Boston a 13-point lead in the Atlantic Division. The head-to-head loss that gives the B’s a 2-1 lead in the season series takes a lot of the drama out of the Leafs’ post-All-Star break race.
By clicking the subscribe button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails or any newsletter. Postmedia Network Inc | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thank you for registering!
content of the article
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the more immediate threat, five points behind Toronto with four games in hand with only home field advantage to be determined. It would be a repeat of last spring’s first round, won by the Bolts.
Boston didn’t need 38-goal scorer David Pastrnak, nor the help of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, it had underperforming blueliners Derek Forbort and Brandon Carlo to take the lead, and pluggers like AJ Greer clinched the win. That adds to blueliner Matt Grzelcyk’s late game-winner with three goals in Boston on Jan. 14.
advertising 3
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
content of the article
“They’re obviously a good team and we have to be dialed into every little detail,” said John Tavares, captain of the Leafs’ Mürren. “It takes a lot of execution and we need to find a way to break through ourselves. They defend well and their goalkeeper (Linus Ullmark) is having a great year.
“You have to work for your offense and sometimes it won’t be pretty.”
After Ullmark and Ilya Samsonov stole the show in the goalless first period, there were three goals in the middle period, two of them on special teams.
On its first chance against the NHL’s best penalty takers, Toronto had a minute advantage when a retreating Mitch Marner was knocked off the puck behind his net and Forbort’s goal hit Boston.
“That’s obviously not what you want,” Marner said. “But I thought we were with them all the way.
advertising 4
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
content of the article
“In the third half, I don’t know if you would call it cheating, but we just pushed hard, gave up a few chances and it cost us.”
Marner atoned with Grzelcyk in the box for an elbow on Alex Kerfoot and took a long Samsonov feed for his 19th goal. It was Samsonov’s second power-play assist in the past week. But that tie didn’t last long as Wayne Simmonds, Zach-Aston Reese and Pontus Holmberg’s fourth line wore down in their own zone against Boston’s top line and then failed to cover Carlo on the switch.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
We apologize, but this video could not be loaded.
play video
In the third, in which Boston has already won 27 games by this point, Greer went on defense and defeated Samsonov, although in his usual work he suffered a few punches from Simmonds in a fight in the ensuing faceoff.
advertising 5
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
content of the article
That fight inspired the Leafs to score from Calle Jarnkrok, but in a scrum with Michael Bunting immediately afterwards, a 4-on-4 game saw Pavel Zacha score his first of two goals. Marner didn’t want to say the Bruins are uncatchable, even with 30 games left for Toronto.
“The break gives us nice relaxation to regroup, come back and go to work.”
Marner is replacing her on the same divisional team as Pastrnak and Ullmark this weekend in Sunrise, Fla. Auston Matthews was also selected but a sprained knee will prevent him from participating.
Boston had a few cracks against Samsonov right in the opening shift and set the clubs up for a 27-shot period. Toronto’s best look came when Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall were close in a 2-for-0, but Engvall was out of space on Ullmark when the puck came.
advertising 6
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
content of the article
Samsonov also gave Connor Clifton nothing on a breakaway set in motion by a cough from Marner, and the Russian ended the extended period to rob Pastrnak after spinning the puck past Morgan Rielly.
Without Matthews, the Leafs formed a second line from Marner, centered by Kerfoot, with Jarnkrok on the left.
Penalty shootouts are far from Boston’s only strength, and they were cheered on to end a season-high three losses that had given the Leafs hope of reducing the league deficit to single digits with a regular win. Ullmark has helped the Bruins score the league’s best goals – against average, and Bergeron assures it will always be strong in the faceoff percentage.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
We apologize, but this video could not be loaded.
play video
“When you look at them, they are who they are because they have been successful in every facet of the game,” Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday morning. “They are the best in the league and there are no moves against them.”
Toronto was as tough on the Bruins as any opponent, sharing two one-goal decisions.
advertising 7
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
content of the article
“We’ve been very fortunate and fortunate to be where we are, but we’ve had rough times lately,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said ahead of his team’s optional morning ice skate. “We talk a lot about staying in the moment, staying in the present and focusing on the process that we believe leads to good results.”
Anything the Leafs are proud of, the Bruins seem to do a little better. While Marner is a one-man penalty killer, the Leafs are 16th overall. Tavares is as good as ever at 58.4%, but Bergeron is at 61.2%. William Nylander is hot while his compatriot Pastrnak is on fire. Bunting is a nuisance, Marchand is the Tasmanian Devil with a psychological advantage.
The Leafs won’t be back on the ice for more than a week, although Keefe was confident he had their full attention ahead of fun in the sun plans.
advertising 8
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Article Contents Marchand throws a few thoughts in Marner’s direction, then praises Maple Leafs star Morgan’s play Rielly’s confidence on course, Maple Leafs D Corps stabilizes with break a game away Before the All-Star break, the Maple Leafs must contend with the measure bruins
“It’s natural, I’m sure of it,” Keefe said. “Whether they have wives and girlfriends with bags packed and all that stuff, they’re ready to go.
“But you can’t miss this game here.”
Montgomery is hoping his club use the breaks wisely but also wants them to stop and smell the roses after an impressive and unexpected run to the top with him as new manager.
“I will tell them to enjoy that they had a great first half, rest and spend some quality time with their family and loved ones. Then let’s come back and keep getting better.”
Share this article on your social network Ad 1
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Remarks
Postmedia strives to maintain a vibrant but civilized forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour to be moderated before they appear on the site. We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful. We’ve turned on email notifications – you’ll now receive an email when you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you follow, or when a user you follow comments follows. For more information and details on how to customize your email settings, see our Community Guidelines.
