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Welcome to TD Garden for tonight’s Game 2 contest between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs.
After the Maple Leafs brought some unexpected physicality to Thursday's Game 1, head coach
Bruce Cassidy is making a change for Saturday's Game 2.
A healthy scratch Thursday, the first of his playoff career,
David Backes will be back in the Bruins lineup Saturday night.
Backes sitting Game 1 in favor of
Karson Kuhlman was Cassidy's attempt to try and match the speed of the Maple Leafs. But in Game 1, Toronto's speed wasn't the biggest issue.
Bringing Backes back into the fold is Cassidy's attempt at taking back the physical side of things, and hopefully allowing the Bruins to get back to their game and what made them so good in the regular season.
"David’s just a change of personnel, I guess, whatever word you want to use. He’s been a good player for us," said Cassidy. "We need maybe a little more leadership, a little more intensity in our lineup, so he obviously brings that. We’ll see where it goes."
With Backes in the lineup for Game 2, where he fits in and for whom is still a mystery. As of morning skate, Cassidy wasn't quite sure with how those decisions would pan out.
"Some guys are out there skating, obviously.
Jake [DeBrusk] missed yesterday; he’s out there now, so there will be a domino effect of how guys are," added Cassidy."
As Cassidy mentioned, DeBrusk skated this morning after missing Friday's practice. DeBrusk missed a few shifts Thursday after crashing into the end boards on Mitch Marner's shorthanded breakaway attempt. After his return to Game 1, DeBrusk was in clear pain, hunched over in discomfort after several shifts.
"Listen, I anticipate he’ll [Debrusk] play, but I don’t want to start going through lines if it’s a waste of everyone’s time. If he doesn’t play then people – you know, dominos fall."
Warmups
- Looks like Marcus Johansson is the odd man out tonight. Not on the ice for warmups.
- Bruins lines per warmups:
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Krejci-Kuhlman
Heinen-Coyle-Backes
Nordstrom-Acciari-Wagner
Chara-McAvoy
Krug-Caro
Grzelcyk-Clifton
Rask
First period
20:00: Toronto starts with Hyman, John Tavares, Marner, Muzzin and Ziatsev. Bruins counter with Nordstrom, Acciari, Wagner, Chara and McAvoy. Per the Bruins, Johansson is out tonight due to illness.
17:23: Bruins are buzzing, much better start in Game 2. They've brought their hitting shoes tonight and the TD Garden crowd is loving it.
15:16: Charlie Coyle from Backes. 1-0 Bruins.
12:16: The Bruins could not have scripted a better start to Game 2. They've hit everything in sight and have completely titled the ice in their favor. They're outshooting Toronto 9-1 at the first TV timeout.
8:48: DeBrusk and Nazem Kadri go at it after DeBrusk rides Kadri into the boards. Matching penalties.
3:56: Poor puck management by the Maple Leafs and the Bruins make them pay for it. Brad Marchand from David Pastrnak. 2-0 Bruins.
1:03: The Leafs get the games first power play of the night. Pastrnak to the box for charging.
0:00: Bruins will take a 2-0 lead into the second period. Toronto starts the second with 57 seconds of power play time.
Thoughts after 20:
An absolute great period for the Bruins, one they dominated from start to finish. They outshot Toronto 14-7, edged them in shot attempts 24-10, and out-chanced them 10-3.
It appears Cassidy's original plan was to sit Karson Kuhlman with Backes returning to the lineup, but Johansson's illness changed things. The rookie Kuhlman only played 1:23 in the first period with Coyle and Backes getting the majority of looks on the line with DeBrusk and Krejci.
The Bruins have done a great job keeping Toronto to the perimeters, not giving them much to work with at all.
They've also done a great job of clogging the neutral zone, making any sort of entry into the offensive zone for Toronto difficult.
Second period:
19:02: Pastrnak out of the box, Bruins kill the Toronto power play.
17:34: DeBrusk on the breakaway, but Frederick Andersen comes up with the big save.
9:32: Jake Muzzin with a massive hit on Torey Krug who hits the boards hard. Krug struggled back to his feet before falling back onto the ice. To the room goes Krug.
9:21: William Nylander was a massive error behind his own net. Danton Heinen with the tally, 3-0 Bruins.
7:38: Maple Leafs are completely unraveling in the 2nd. Frederick Gauthier to the box for roughing.
5:38: Toronto kills off the power play.
5:30: Andersen absolutely robs Heinen. Huge save.
4:38: Big opportunity here for Toronto as Zdeno Chara sends the puck over the glass for the delay of game penalty.
3:08: Back to the box for Kadri, 40 seconds of 4-on-4 before a Bruins power play. Hooking the call.
54.9: Coming out of the box, Kadri and DeBrusk collide in the Leafs zone. Kadri goes to the room a little early after the big collision with DeBrusk.
0:00: Bruins will take a 3-0 lead into the third period.
Thoughts after 40:
I wouldn't be surprised if Krug's evening is done, even if he is able to return. With the 3-0 lead and the Bruins dictating play, there's no need to rush him back into the game.
I felt the Bruins took their foot of the gas for a bit in the second, but Toronto couldn't capitalize. They had a few more chances in the period, but Tuukka Rask made some big saves.
Now able to watch the play a few times, the DeBrusk hit on Kadri was absolutely knee-to-knee, but that was not his intention. DeBrusk appears to put weight on his knee to deliver a shoulder to body check, but it's the knees that get there first.
Pastrnak may only have one shot on goal through two, but after a lackluster performance in Game 1, the Bruins top goal scorer has been much more engaged tonight, landing four hits.
Speaking of hits, Backes has done exactly what Cassidy has needed him to do, landing a game-high seven hits so far.
Third period:
20:00: Kadri is back for the Leafs, no Krug for Boston.
18:54: Andersen with another huge glove save, this time on Marchand. As poorly as they've played in front of him, Andersen has kept Toronto alive.
15:41: Tavares not happy with missed high stick behind the Bruins net. Proceeds to knock Rask down in the Bruins crease, prompting Charlie McAvoy to toss to Tavares to the ground. Bodies everywhere.
14:24: Hyman punches McAvoy in the face, and somehow Krejci gets two minutes out of the scrum that ensues. Power play coming up for Toronto.
9:16: Leafs hammer Bruins in their own zone and Toronto makes them pay for it. Kadri with the deflection. 3-1 Bruins.
8:38: Already down Krug, Connor Clifton has gone to the Bruins locker room.
7:32: Brandon Carlo appears to be in some pain as well. Physical pace is starting to catch up to the Bruins. Toronto has turned things on here in the third.
5:57: DeBrusk hits Kadri along the boards and Kadri retaliates with a cheap shot on DeBrusk. Cross check to the head. Expect another playoff suspension for Kadri.
4:57: With the Bruins on the five-minute power play for Kadri's cheap shot, the Bruins put the nail in Toronto's coffin as Patrice Bergeron picks up his second power play goal in as many games.
0:00: That's a wrap from Boston. Bruins take a physical Game 2, 4-1.
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