If we’re being honest with ourselves, an Oct. 26 showdown should not have felt as tense as Saturday’s showdown between the Bruins and Maple Leafs felt.
On both benches, really.
For as much as we’ve discussed the early-season woes of the Bruins, and the growing frustration that’s come with a three-game slide for the club, things have looked awfully similar up in Toronto. In fact, the Leafs were coming off their worst two-game performance since the team was competing for lottery picks. Complete with new head coach Craig Berube absolutely laying into Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews on the Toronto bench, too, which should sound more than familiar to fans in Boston.
The stakes weren’t quite as high as the last time we saw these teams get together in this building, of course, but it was a game that felt like more than two points. A win in this game would’ve been enough for either coach to outright acknowledge that they’re closer than where they were on Thursday (not that that’d take much), and that this was something to legitimately build on in an effort to find what they viewed as their game. And it would not have been hyperbole, either.
And though it required an extra session thanks to a game-tying goal from Auston Matthews with just 1:17 left in regulation, it was Jim Montgomery’s Bruins who earned the building block by way of a 4-3 victory.
Marchand gets on the board
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 26: Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins controls the puck in front of Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at the TD Garden. (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Bruins captain Brad Marchand would be the first to tell you that his start has not been up to his level. Marchand may have entered play with four helpers through eight games, but the glaring number came with the goose egg in the ‘G’ category, with Marchand 0-for-19 with his bids for tallies through the first 10 percent of the campaign.
That changed Saturday night, and in true Marchand-inspired chaotic fashion, with an overtime strike that hovered around the crease of Anthony Stolarz before it was banged across the line.
That’s one. And at a time where No. 63 desperately needed it no less.
“It is,” Marchand admitted when it was a relief to finally get on the board with his first goal of the season. “I’ve been through many different stretches in my career, good or bad, and you gotta stay even-keeled. I wasn’t getting too caught up in it. But it is nice to get that one out of the way for sure.”
Something of potential note here: In 22 games last year that followed a game where he got on the board with a goal, Marchand posted 12 goals and 22 points, and had four different goal streaks over that span.
Fourth line shines for Bruins again
Oct 26, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic (47) celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson/Imagn Images)
Thursday came with the first disaster of the 2024-25 season for the Black and Gold’s fourth line of Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic, and Cole Koepke … they were on the ice for a goal against for the first time all season.
But the line, which has been thee most pleasant surprise of the season to date, responded like only they can in this one, with a second-period goal from Kastelic that was 77 seconds away from holding as the game winner.
I think one thing that sort of flies under the radar with this trio is that they’re fourth liners, yes, but there’s some definite skill in those sticks and smarts in those helmets. Combine that with their motors and they can and have created mismatches that have typically favored the Bruins.
Even beyond their goal, this was a line that downright dominated the puck when out there, with a 5-0 edge in shots.
Powered up
Oct 26, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) tries to get around Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) during the first period at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson/Imagn Images)
It was not what you would consider a banner night from the B’s power play. In fact, the team got booed by the Garden crowd multiple times during William Nylander’s double-minor that gave the Bruins an extended opportunity to knot things up in the middle frame. But if look at their lone strike on the man advantage in this one, you’ll see some downright beautiful, deliberate movement that seemingly needs to be the name of the game here.
Beginning with a strong offensive-zone entry from Pavel Zacha, the Bruins had some downright terrific movement from David Pastrnak to Charlie McAvoy to Zacha to Brad Marchand and then back to Pastrnak for the goal.
Again, what you have to love about this sequence is just how quick-thinking the Bruins were when it came to the on-ice execution. I think when this power-play unit has stumbled at times this season, there’s been an element of the Bruins looking a bit too casual and second-guessing their options en route to the chance dying on the vine.
“We moved the puck well, honestly,” Pastrnak said of the power-play goal. “We took what was in front of us, we took the puck low. Toronto’s kill is very aggressive, so we took it down low and created a half tap-in goal. Great pass and big goal on the PP.”
Everything else
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 26: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins throws a puck to a young fan during warm-up before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the TD Garden on October 26, 2024. (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
– B’s star David Pastrnak did indeed suffer a pretty significant chip to his teeth on the Nylander high stick.
– This was a much better game for the Bruins in pretty much every facet, clearly. But they still ran into some familiar issues all the same. Penalties were once again an issue at times (namely when Johnny Beecher was called for a penalty that gave Toronto almost 40 seconds of a 5-on-3 in the first period), and puck management was at times lacking. On that front, the most egregious mistake was a double-whammy of sorts, as Nikita Zadorov sent a blind pass to no man’s land with under 30 seconds in the second period, which sent the Bruins into survival mode until Trent Frederic took a penalty to keep Toronto off the board.
– Been doing this for almost half my life now, and I gotta say, there’s not many players that strike fear into home crowds the way Auston Matthews does when he has the puck on his stick. Saturday was no exception on that front. The way all eyes shift to him on the ice opens so many things up for his linemates, as you saw again and again. Just an unbelievable talent who continues to grow into one of the three-zone threats in the league.
– Off the ice, forward Riley Tufte officially cleared waivers and reported to AHL Providence. Sending Tufte, who had not appeared in a game since taking two offensive-zone penalties (both of which led to power-play goals against) in last week’s road game in Colorado, down to the minors will create some cap space for the Bruins.
The Bruins can continue to bank that cap space away or they can use it to sign Tyler Johnson to a contract. Johnson, who was one of Boston’s best players in training camp (and on a pro tryout agreement), has been hanging around and practicing with the club despite not having a contract to his name.
