Bruins Game-Breaker: Penalties give Leafs life in Game 2 loss
The Boston Bruins let Game 2 slip away from them, and the turning point was self-inflicted.
Matt Grzelcyk’s interference penalty late in the second period set the stage for the Toronto Maple Leafs to seize control, then ultimately grab a 3-2 win in Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series on Monday night at TD Garden. John Tavares’ ensuing goal merely tied the game, but it was clear from that point on which team was dictating the pace.
“I actually liked our second period until we took the penalties,” said head coach Jim Montgomery. “Then their power play got rolling. They get juice from their power play. I thought in the third period they were better than we were.”
Grzelcyk crosschecked Tavares from behind, in front of the Bruins’ net, to get called to the sin bin. Debate swirled on social media about the legitimacy of the call, as often happens. Tavares probably sold it a bit, considering he’s a 6-foot-1 guy getting shoved by a 5-foot-9 guy. But there was certainly contact, and too much of it in the wrong place at the wrong time for Grzelcyk to get away with it.
Matt Grzelcyk 2-min penalty for interference against John Tavares#MapleLeafs 1 #Bruins 2 2nd pic.twitter.com/gJpb9M8HyK
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) April 23, 2024
The Bruins were the better 5-on-5 team in the second period, out-shooting the Leafs 9-5 with a 5-3 edge in high-danger chances at full strength. But Toronto regained control after Tavares made Grzelcyk pay for the penalty. In the third period, the Leafs out-shot the Bruins 7-4 and out-chanced them 9-2 at 5-on-5, and of course had a 1-0 edge on the scoreboard with Auston Matthews’ game-winning goal.
Boston, meanwhile, couldn’t capitalize on a late man advantage of their own. It felt as if Toronto had already choked off any energy they had left to gain.
“It’s always good to get momentum when you have a power play,” said Bruins center Pavel Zacha. “We would’ve liked to score on that last one in the third period, and we didn’t have a good power play there. That’s something we have to work on until next game.”
Spin around, stop, score... the John Tavares method 🚨 pic.twitter.com/OFjAvaEBwi
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 23, 2024
The Bruins also got called twice for too many men on the ice, more notably in the second period. That’s where Montgomery saw a Leafs team that was gifted a shot of adrenaline. And based on the third period, the better team ended up coming away with the deserved victory.
Penalties will be an obvious point of emphasis for the Bruins between Games 2 and 3. They were also sloppy with their breakout attempts and neutral zone passes. The Leafs’ speed appeared to speed them up.
But it’s clear, now, that the last thing the B’s want to do is give the Leafs momentum by putting them on the power play. Discipline will be the word of the day at practice, all the way around.
Get complete Boston Bruins coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content.
Bruins lose Game 2, series with Maple Leafs tied 1-1
