5 Takeaways from Bruins-Maple Leafs Game 2

5 Takeaways from Bruins-Maple Leafs Game 20 of 5

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For all the history and tropes surrounding the Bruins, the Maple Leafs and their first-round meetings, things were different headed into the matchup this year.

The Leafs finally got the first-round monkey off their back against the Lightning last season, and the Bruins showed themselves as human as they collapsed in the first round after a historic regular-season run.

It looked like the Bruins were going to deliver the same fate as usual with a 5-1 Game 1 win, the Leafs bounced back for a 3-2, Game 2 win in Boston. Stealing one on the road, without William Nylander, is gigantic for them heading back to Toronto.

The Leafs were resilient and uncharacteristically unfazed by Boston in the win. Meanwhile, the Bruins were sloppy, slow and disjointed in front of Linus Ullmark.

Before the series heads to Toronto, let’s dive into how the Leafs stole a game in Boston.

Leafs Stars Show Up at the Perfect Time1 of 5

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The Toronto Maple Leafs know better than most franchises at this point that you aren’t going to win a series in the playoffs without your star names stepping up.

Monday’s win at TD Garden was a near-perfect execution for this Maple Leafs core, especially without William Nylander.

Max Domi—part of general manager Brad Treliving’s toughness rebrand—scored a huge bounce-back goal 14 seconds after the Bruins took a 1-0 lead. Domi’s goal was all effort; he bounced two of his rebounds off Linus Ullmark’s net to cash in upfront.

John Tavares rallied the troops after a Tyler Bertuzzi power-play goal was disallowed via high stick. The captain calmed the group considerably by scoring on that same power play in essentially the next shift.

B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIceSpin around, stop, score… the John Tavares method 🚨 pic.twitter.com/OFjAvaEBwi

Then, of course, you had the gorgeous game-winner from Auston Matthews to follow up his Rocket Richard Trophy regular-season run. You also had two Matthews assists, a necessary development with Nylander out for a second game.

B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIceAUSTON MATTHEWS GIVES THE LEAFS THE LEAD 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/PivFaNVZu0

Your best players need to be your best players, and your Rocket Richard Trophy winner will often need to muster up the game-winner.

It Doesn’t Matter Who’s in Goal for the Bruins2 of 5

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There’s been no question more pressing around Boston this season than the goaltending rotation.

As solid as both Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have been throughout the regular season for their second consecutive year as a tandem, Bruins fans couldn’t shake the bad vibes from last season’s first-round collapse.

It’s a new season, and we know the Bruins are handling their goalie tandem differently after Game 2 by sticking to what worked in the regular season.

They started with Swayman, who was on the verge of stealing the net from Ullmark during the regular season. He stopped 35 of 36 shots in Game 1 as the Bruins won 5-1, and saved a whopping 6.2 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.com.

This was the best performance of a Game 1 goaltender around the league by far, 4.2 goals saved above expected more than No. 2 Andrei Vasilevskiy.

No one would’ve blamed Montgomery for riding the hot hand. Swayman was 3-0-0 with a .959 save percentage against Toronto during the regular season. You love his odds against this team no matter what.

But here’s the thing: Swayman had never played Toronto while starting two consecutive games. Part of the reason this tandem has been so advantageous is the relief and fresh legs they give each other, which the coaching staff decided to disregard last playoff run.

Enter Game 2 for Ullmark. Despite the loss, he saved 30 of 33 shots and ended with a .909 save percentage.

B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIceUllmark JUST ROBBED Robertson from giving the Leafs the lead 😱 pic.twitter.com/mLiBH4sE2G

It’s not Ullmark’s fault the Bruins’ defense (and all skaters, for that matter) was sloppy and sluggish in front of him. We’ll get to the poor defensive performance soon, but the goalie kept the game tied at least thrice as his team left him hanging out to dry.

The good news for the Bruins? They can trust both netminders to give them a chance.

The bad news for the Bruins? Not even 2011 Tim Thomas has a chance when the rest of the team is playing like that.

All of this said, though, Swayman had the better game. He had the best game of any goaltender in the playoffs so far, and the team looks confident playing in front of him. But Ullmark wasn’t to blame for the Bruins’ Game 2 loss.

Ilya Samsonov Delivers Biggest Performance in His Career So Far3 of 5

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Being the goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs comes with all the pressure in the world.

You’re never going to get the credit for a big win and all the blame is directed your way after a nightmarish loss like Game 1 on Saturday.

Despite the criticism, Ilya Samsonov played big in net and quieted any talk of a goalie controversy in Maple Leaf Land for now with a sterling 27-save effort to knot the series at one game apiece.

“We love [Samsonov] and he’s a big part of our locker room, so I think it just adds into our belief in him and I think the way we care for one another and certainly being the backbone between the pipes and how he’s been able to battle and stay with it and compete,” Tavares said.

“I think as a teammate, you admire that and you appreciate that and certainly respect the hell out of it. He’s battled hard all year, which hasn’t been the way you’d draw it up, but you just keep putting your head down and going forward. It’s kind of the way our game was tonight.”

Samsonov hasn’t been in the ideal situation this season, stepping in after intended starter Matt Murray’s season-long injury. If he can pull off a series win over the Bruins, he’ll be a Leafs hero regardless. So far, so good.

The Bruins’ Defense Has Been Bad4 of 5

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It was no secret the Bruins’ blue line has been a source of frustration and thinner than the typical big, bad nature they’ve tended to thrive on. They had to make plenty of tough decisions due to their cap situation, but none has exposed them more than defensive blunders.

According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Leafs held a 54.35 percent edge in Corsi and a 69.23 percent edge in scoring chances at five-on-five. Hampus Lindholm had a tough game with two even-strength goals against while on the ice. The Bruins will need some of his magic from seasons past if he’s going to play big minutes.

Boston only lost by one goal, but there was a palpable inability to clear the puck from the zone, and the goals it allowed largely left Ullmark out to dry.

It’s not just the defense’s job to avoid turnovers, though, and the whole group simply has to tighten it up for Game 3 if it’s to steal a game in Toronto.

“I didn’t think our urgency was where it needed to be tonight to prevail,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. “We didn’t win enough wall battles to get out of our end.”

William Nylander’s Absence Has Been Felt5 of 5

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Matthews’ electric Richard Trophy-winning 69-goal season was special to witness, but William Nylander’s career year was just as impactful on the overall complexion of this Leafs team.

The 27-year-old was second to Matthews in scoring with 98 points this year (40 goals and 58 assists). He also added another layer of protection when it came to outscoring the not-so-lovely defensive core and goaltending situation.

As strong as the Bruins played in Game 1, the absence of Nylander contributed to the Leafs’ loss and lack of offensive production. It’s insanely encouraging for Toronto that it dealt with this, managed to adjust and crank up the scoring for Game 2 and will likely get Nylander back this series.

Imagine the scene at Scotiabank Arena when the Leafs return with a tied series. Now, imagine that if they get Nylander back at home, too.

The Bruins needed to win these home games for obvious reasons, but also because they had their easiest shot to take a commanding league without Nylander.

It’s just one loss, but Boston has not put itself in a position to succeed headed north of the border.