Live-Blog: Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Second Period

“[We need to] play a little cleaner, get those pucks all the way down into their end and make them breakout because that’s when we’re good and they struggle so we have to start doing that in order to get going.” Dennis Seidenberg on what the Boston Bruins needed to focus on and adjust in the second period.

Just 17 seconds into the second period Carl Soderberg was able to do exactly what is expected of him. From the faceoff dot over to the boards the Toronto Maple Leafs flooded the zone to try to cover the zone and Reilly Smith was left with wide open space to fire a shot that trickled through the pads of Bernier. Carl Soderberg was camped out behind the netminder and was able to get the second chance power play goal, tying the game at 1.

To the Bruins disadvantage Zdeno Chara couldn’t hold the puck at the line and Kessel with Van Riemsdyk were able to  create a 2-on-1 opportunity. Van Riemsdyk took the shot and was able to beat Rask with ease, giving the Leafs their one-goal lead once again.

Phil Kessel stole the puck from Torey Krug in the defensive zone and had a clear shot on Rask but he denied him once again. Great opportunity followed up by an even better save by Rask. While defense may not have come to play tonight, Rask has been sporting his A-game. As the Bruins neared the halfway marker of the period Claude began switching up his defensive pairings to try and deter any more mishaps:

Krug-Seidenberg

Bartkowski-Hamilton

Chara-Miller

As Kevan Miller and Nazem Kadri moved into the corner Miller got whistled for interference after Kadri sold the call tumbling to the ice in a heap.  The momentum boost of the power play was enough for Phil Kessel to finally put the puck past  his old teammate and instill a two-goal lead for the Leafs at 9:45 of the second.  Kessel’s goal is his third in 14 games played at the Garden as a member of the Leafs and his first since 2010-2011. It also came as his 500th career point.

With 4:32 remaining the BostoN Bruins were able to make a play out of their zone, go wing to wing with David Krejci bringing the puck up the ice and Milan Lucic going down the lane for a net drive. With Lucic’s net front presence Krejci blasted a shot that went high off of a deflection from Cody Franson past Bernier and over the red line cutting the Leafs lead to 1. Seth Griffith did a good job winning battles in the defensive zone after getting his helmet knocked off to generate the scoring chance.

The Krejci goal gave the Bruins a burst of energy as the clock winded down. At the 17:31 mark Torey Krug was able to get the puck across the crease to David Krejci who was crashing the net. Krejci got a skate on the puck and was able to help it trickle over the line to tie the game at 3, the Bruins scoring twice 123 seconds apart.

As the horn sounded concluding the second period the Boston Bruins left their mark. Chris Kelly drilled Kadri near the penalty boxes and then Tuukka Rask began getting mouthy with David Clarkson resulting in a mini brawl. As each team proceeded to their respective locker rooms, Bernier and Rask exchanged some pleasantries, leaving plenty of room for a show for the final twenty.

Second Period Summary: 

The Bruins were easily outplayed through the second frame, something that isn’t exactly uncommon for them this season. However, when it comes against one of the worst possession teams in the League and after a dominating victory against the Detroit Red Wings that brought a collective effort from every player on the ice, we really have to stop and look at the weak links and where they could fit in elsewhere. The Boston Bruins were allowing Toronto to dictate the game and where the puck was going to go and struggled with getting the puck out of their own zone. David Krejci‘s goal seemed to breathe some life into the Bruins team, allowing them to score twice and tie the game up heading into the final frame. So long as the Bruins bring t he  same emotion to the third as they ended the second, we should be in for some entertaining twenty minutes.

Next: Third Period: Bruins vs. Maple Leafs