The Toronto Maple Leafs fired 4 photographs on Jeremy Swayman inside the primary 90 seconds Saturday.
The membership was fishing the puck out of its internet moments later after the Bruins capitalized on a mistake.
Toronto obtained a 4-on-3 energy play early within the second interval that failed to attach earlier than celebrity Auston Matthews beat the Boston goaltender to a unfastened puck solely to have his golden alternative agonizingly discover iron. The house facet was up 2-0 a minute later.
Psychological errors, particular groups, missed possibilities and a superior efficiency within the reverse crease have been hallmarks of latest Leafs post-seasons.
That script performed out once more inside an electrical TD Backyard.
Swayman was excellent in making 35 saves and Jake DeBrusk scored twice as a part of a three-point evening in Boston’s 5-1 victory over Toronto to open the groups’ first-round playoff sequence.
“They seem to be a very affected person staff,” stated Matthews, who led the NHL with an outrageous 69 objectives within the common season. “Executed on the errors that we made.
“Received a style of what this sequence is all about – we have to raise our sport.”
John Beecher, Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic, into an empty internet, additionally scored for Boston. Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy had two assists every because the Bruins continued their dominance over the Leafs following an ideal 4-0-0 common season.
David Kampf replied for Toronto, which handed the Bruins 5 energy performs on principally undisciplined or careless sequences — Boston related on two — and went 0-for-3 on its man benefits. Ilya Samsonov stopped 19 photographs.
Sport 2 of the best-of-seven sequence goes Monday.
The Leafs winger William Nylander sat out with an undisclosed harm — the primary sport he is missed for something aside from sickness since November 2016.
“We have performed with out guys at totally different instances and we have dealt with it very properly,” Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe stated. “We did not deal with it very properly tonight. We actually missed him.
“However he has nothing to do with us taking too many penalties or giving up a 2-on-1.”
Toronto received its first post-season sequence in 19 years final spring earlier than dropping to the Florida Panthers within the second spherical. Boston had a record-breaking 2022-23 marketing campaign, but additionally fell to the Panthers.
“We will take rather a lot from this sport and attempt to course right,” stated Matthews, whose staff misplaced its playoff opener at residence to the Tampa Bay Lightning some 12 months in the past earlier than successful 4 of the following 5 to advance for the primary time since 2004. “We have simply obtained to return out and elevate our sport.”
Toronto and Boston are assembly within the first spherical for the fourth time within the final 12 years. The Bruins took the three earlier sequence — in 2013, 2018 and 2019 — in seven video games.
After the guests directed that early salvo at Swayman, Boston took a 1-0 lead at 2:26 when Beecher scored his first-career playoff purpose on an odd-man rush.
Samsonov heard a symphony of iron behind him because the opening interval progressed. Coyle hit the publish earlier than each McAvoy and Pavel Zacha chimed photographs off the crossbar.
Bruising Bruins ahead Pat Maroon additionally almost put Leafs defenceman Timothy Liljegren into Boston’s bench inside a pulsating rink that watched Toronto winger Max Domi cross-check and slash Marchand earlier than the opening faceoff.
The Leafs could not join on their 4-on-3 man benefit to begin the second and Calle Jarnkrok — again within the lineup following a protracted harm absence — was stopped on a partial break moments later.
“Actually sluggish, disconnected,” Keefe stated of his energy play. “Not ok.”
Matthews received the race with Swayman shortly after that, however clanked the trouble off the close to publish.
“Big,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery stated. “Thought it was 1-1 as quickly as he obtained by Sway. We have got to be higher in these areas.”
The Bruins made the Leafs pay for that miss.
Carlo blasted a shot previous Samsonov with Leafs ahead Pontus Holmberg screening his netminder at 5:47 for a 2-0 lead.
Boston’s under-fire energy play — till Saturday, that’s — then went to work.
DeBrusk snapped his first by way of one other display screen with Matthews off for high-sticking at 15:02.
Domi then took a slashing penalty and DeBrusk added his second for a 4-0 benefit at 17:34.
“I perceive what he is attempting to do,” Keefe stated of Domi. “Crossed the road there.”
“We have got to be a bit bit extra ready to tone it down,” added Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi, who took a penalty within the first. “Not be so emotionally invested.”
The Leafs obtained a fourth-line purpose at 1:39 when Kampf beat Swayman.
But it surely wasn’t almost sufficient for a staff that may await Nylander’s standing for Monday.
“Powerful to enter a playoff with out him,” Keefe stated. “However not the storyline right here for us.
“There’s different issues we have to do rather a lot higher.”
Hurricanes 3, Islanders 1
Stefan Noesen grabbed a unfastened puck atop the crease and pushed it previous Semyon Varlamov early within the third interval to assist the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 3-1 to open their NHL playoff sequence.
Sport 2 of the best-of-7 first-round sequence is Monday evening.
Noesen’s collect-and-finish rating at 3:44 of the interval lastly pushed Carolina into the lead, then Martin Necas added an empty-net clincher from past the blue line with 1:32 to go. These capped a grinding outing for the Hurricanes, who wanted loads of large stops from Frederik Andersen to hold on at residence.