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Welcome to TD Garden for tonight’s Game 5 contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.
With the Bruins fourth line struggling through the first four games of the series, the line should get some help tonight as Sean Kuraly is expected to return after missing four weeks with a hand injury. Kuraly will slide in for Joakim Nordstrom who be a healthy scratch for the first time in the series.
With the series tied at two games apiece, and a pivotal Game 5 on tap, Kuraly’s return comes at the perfect time.
“Sean’s greatest strength is his ability to transport the puck out of our zone, close first and get out. He’s strong, a real good skater, so he can get the puck out of our zone,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said on Thursday. “I think that line has done a good job in terms of structurally being in lanes, blocking shots, and willing to battle. But they miss that element, the guy who can get it and go and separate.”
"I feel back to 100 percent and looking forward to get going. I just want to keep it simple and not over complicate things, take away time and space and be physical when I can, have a good stick when I can and get up and down the ice as well,” Kuraly said.
After a successful playoff debut last postseason with eight points in 12 playoff games, Jake DeBrusk’s second crack at playoff hockey hasn’t been as kind to the 22-year old. DeBrusk has yet to score, while picking up one assist through four games.
As we saw from DeBrusk in the regular season, DeBrusk can be streaky at times. But when he did break out of a scoring slump, the goals seemed to come in bunches. DeBrusk hopes to break out of that slump in Game 5.
“It would be nice, would obviously be something that I’m looking to do. In saying that, I think that this time of year is perfect, though, because it doesn’t matter who is scoring. That’s the beauty of it,” said DeBrusk. “I’d like to kind of find my game. I’ve had some 0’s and some 100’s in there, so I just need to find some consistency in general and do things that make my successful. Hopefully that leads to some goals, but as long as we win it doesn’t really matter to me.”
Pregame:
The Garden goes wild as former Bruin Marc Savard along with Massachusetts Special Olympian Tyler Lagasse are tonight's banner captains. Tonight marks Savard's first time at the garden since he last played in Boston in 2011.
First period:
20:00: Bruins start with Sean Kuraly, Noel Acciari, Chris Wagner, Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy. Toronto counters with Zach Hyman, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Jake Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev.
16:11: Not much going on to start. Toronto with the edge in shots 3-1, and the majority of the zone time.
8:49: After sleeping through the first half of the period, the Krejci line comes up with a couple of chances. Most life they've shown so far.
7:35: Toronto responds to the Bruins chances with a pair of their own, but Rask stands tall with some tough saves.
5:02: It's been a good start for Charlie McAvoy. He's just missed by inches on two shot attempts and has broken up several scoring chances for Toronto. He's been money for the Bruins all series.
3:00: Bruins will get the game's first power play. Zach Hyman for tripping.
1:00: Some good zone time on the power play and a few nice chances, but Toronto kills off Hyman's penalty.
0:00: Scoreless after one. Leafs lead the Bruins in shots 7-6.
Thoughts after 20:
It wasn't the most eventful period, but with the way the Bruins slept through the first half, they should be happy that they're scoreless after one. Most of the period was spent in the Bruins zone and Tuukka Rask was forced to make some tough saves.
As lackluster as the Bruins were in the period, I liked the start for DeBrusk. The Krejci line produced the Bruins first two scoring chances and DeBrusk was directly involved in both.
The Bruins power play looked good in their lone opportunity, but Frederick Andersen was sharp again.
Credit to Toronto for coming out with their legs and taking it to the Bruins in the first. Much of the talk after Game 1 from Cassidy was around getting pucks behind the Toronto defense, forcing them to chase pucks and wear themselves down in the process. There wasn't much of that in the period.
It was an unusually bad period for Patrice Bergeron at the face off dot, winning just two of seven attempts.
Second period:
18:47: Pastrnak gets a shift with the Bergeron line. Cassidy looking for a spark here.
17:17: Bruins rolling four new lines
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Krejci-Johansson
Kuraly-Coyle-Wagner
Heinen-Acciari-Backes
15:47: Another power play coming up for the Bruins. Patrick Marleau for hooking.
13:47: Bruins fall to 0-2 on the power play.
11:36: After Andersen stops both Marchand and Pastrnak with big saves, the Bruins will head back to the power play. Mitch Marner for delay of game. Bruins need to do something with this man advantage.
9:36: Ugly power play yet again. The best chance of the power play belonged to Toronto after Torey Krug's fumble of the puck allowed Kasperi Kapanen the breakaway attempt.
7:21: Krejci rings one off the crossbar, fans think it went in, but the goal light never went off. As close as it gets.
1:23: Rask with a nice save on Tyler Ennis. Bruins lackluster performance continues.
0:00: That wraps up the second period. Off to the third scoreless.
Thoughts after 40:
The Bruins were
better in the second, but still not great. They looked awful on their two power plays, failing to take advantage of a gift from the referees, and a gift from the Maple Leafs.
Both goalies have been dialed in, even with seeing 31 shots combined. With the Leafs being better of the two teams, Rask has been a big part as to why the Bruins are still in this one.
Of the 12 Bruins forwards, Krejci, Heinen, Coyle, Wagner and Backes have yet to put a shot on goal.
Heat map through two:
This game has a 1-0 overtime victory written all over it.
Third period:
15:16: Bruins have seemed to wake up, it's been a good start to the period and they've had several chances as a result. Got to keep the pressure up.
12:46: Toronto will get their first power play attempt of the night. Marcus Johansson serving the Bruins too many men bench minor.
10:46: Bruins kill the bench minor, back to even strength.
8:27: Auston Matthews continues his hot streak, 1-0 Maple Leafs.
8:27: Bruins are challenging for goaltender interference, but the goal stands.
6:15: Bruins leave Rask out to dry once again and Kasperi Kapanen makes them pay. 2-0 Toronto.
43.4: Krejci gets one back with Rask pulled. Finally the Bruins show some life.
43.4: The goal is under review for offsides, but the goal stands.
13.2: Toronto ices the puck, game's biggest face off coming up.
0:00: 2-1 is the final in Boston. Bruins will head to Toronto facing elimination on Sunday.
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