clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Fresh Links: Brinksmanship

A Bruins win on the road leaves Toronto on the brink of exiting the first round of the playoffs

By Giesse
Boston Bruins v Toronto Maple Leafs - Game Four
Excuse me! PARDON ME! Torey Krug clears a turtleneck from Tuukka Rask’s crease
Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images

Even minus Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins pushed the Maple Leafs to the brink of elimination with a 3-1 win in Toronto last night. Boston can close out the series Saturday night at TD Garden on NBC at 8:00 PM.

  • No Patrice Bergeron, home ice advantage, coming off a win... what could go wrong? Spoiler alert- one Finnish goaltender stoned chance after chance- and coincidentally, today is 4/20! Deadspin
  • The game, and especially the second period, marked Toronto’s best chance to recover in the series until it was squashed by The Little Ball of Great (who is like Larry Bird, in a way.) Boston Globe
  • From game one, and Nazem Kadri boarding his way into a three-game suspension, the Leafs have been on the outside looking in. Their best last night was still not enough. Boston Globe
  • A bit of coy gamesmanship kept the news of Bergeron’s unavailability under wraps. CBC
  • Torey Krug struck first, only 28 seconds into the first period. Riley Nash stepped up, and Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak adjusted- the game was a testament to how Boston continually stepped up as Bruins fell to injury all season long. WEEI
  • But Auston Matthews and William Nylander were supposed to pounce on their opportunity! The Score
  • Three takeaways from the game include the frustration of one young Maple Leaf player and noting that Mike Babcock’s career record in the playoffs is not beyond criticism. Shhhh! Sporting News
  • As for this Boston team, been there before, done that in the playoffs. Swagger matters. There is a bit of crow to be eaten in this reporter’s prediction for the series. Bonus- assessments of the other first round tussles around the NHL, and kudos to David Pastrnak. South Coast Today
  • Tuukka Rask detractors- go home, you’re drunk. Yet AGAIN, look at the numbers to drive a stake through the sorry narrative that Rask does not rise to the occasion in big games. WEEI

Elsewhere around the rink:

  • Outside of the Air Canada Centre in the crowd were two special fans who got into the spirit of things in costume. At least THEY had fun. BarDown
  • Jets fans are having to go to extreme measures to slake their thirst at Bell MTS Place. NO, REALLY! The Beaverton