Jake DeBrusk had two objectives and an help because the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 in Sport 1 of their first-round playoff sequence Saturday.
John Beecher, Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic, into an empty web, additionally scored for Boston, which obtained 35 saves from Jeremy Swayman.
Brad Marchand and Charile McAvoy had two assists every for the Bruins, who swept the season sequence 4-0-0 with the Leafs.
David Kampf replied for Toronto. Ilya Samsonov stopped 19 pictures.
The Leafs winger William Nylander sat out with an undisclosed damage — the primary recreation he’s missed for something aside from sickness since November 2016.
Sport 2 of the best-of-seven sequence goes Monday again at TD Backyard.
Toronto gained its first post-season sequence in 19 years final spring earlier than falling to the Florida Panthers within the second spherical. Boston had a record-breaking 2022-23 marketing campaign, however fell sufferer to the Panthers to open its playoffs a dozen months in the past.
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 registered the primary 4 pictures, Boston took a 1-0 lead at 2:26 of the opening interval when Beecher scored his first-career playoff objective on a 2-on-1 after Joel Edmundson pinched on the offensive blue line.
Samsonov heard a symphony of iron behind him because the interval wore on as Charlie Coyle hit the publish earlier than each Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha chimed pictures off the crossbar.
Bruising Bruins ahead Pat Maroon additionally practically put Leafs defenceman Timothy Liljegren into Boston’s bench inside a pulsating TD Backyard that watched Toronto winger Max Domi cross-check and slash Marchand earlier than the opening faceoff.
The Leafs couldn’t join on a 4-on-3 energy play to begin the second and Calle Jarnkrok — again within the lineup following a protracted damage absence — was stopped on a partial break moments later.
Toronto famous person Auston Matthews, who completed the common season with 69 objectives, beat Swayman in a race for a free puck shortly after that, however despatched his effort off the publish.
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 of the night time by one other display with Matthews off for high-sticking at 15:02.
Domi then took a slashing penalty and DeBrusk added his second off a Marchand feed for a 4-0 benefit at 17:34.
The winger virtually accomplished his first playoff hat trick short-handed within the interval’s dying seconds, however hit one other publish.
They obtained a fourth-line objective at 1:39 when Kampf beat Swayman. Leafs defenceman Simon Benoit hit the publish shortly thereafter as Toronto lastly pushed again.
THE GAMESMANSHIP BEGINS
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe wouldn’t talk about Nylander’s damage standing with reporters, whereas Bruins counterpart Jim Montgomery didn’t reveal his beginning goaltender till Swayman led Boston onto ice for warmups.
“One of many guys sporting pads,” Montgomery stated Saturday morning when requested about his crease choice between Swayman or Linus Ullmark.
BRODIE OUT
T.J. Brodie was a wholesome scratch regardless of sitting second in minutes performed by a Toronto defenceman this season.
SOAKING IT IN
Edmundson took a second to mirror on his Cup victory with the St. Louis Blues at TD Backyard in 2019 forward of Saturday’s opener.
“Nice recollections,” stated the Toronto blueliner. “Went on the market and took a second to take all of it in once more.
“I wish to make some extra good recollections on this enviornment.”
