Maple Leafs at Bruins
With 10 points in four games, David Krejci has the Boston Bruins on the cusp of advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The fourth-seeded Bruins can wrap up their Eastern Conference first-round series on Friday, when they host the fifth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5. Boston holds a 3-1 advantage in the series after denying Toronto its first home playoff win in nine years, defeating the Maple Leafs 5-2 in Game 3 and 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday. Krejci recorded his second career playoff hat trick in Game 4, capping it with the overtime winner for his third three-point effort in the series.
Toronto outshot the Bruins in both games at Air Canada Centre after stealing Game 2 in Boston but could not translate that momentum into a home victory. The Maple Leafs' power play, which had scored in each of the first three contests, went silent in Game 4, finishing 0-for-4. Toronto’s penalty kill, which was 8-for-9 before Wednesday, allowed two goals on five opportunities in the overtime loss. James Reimer cannot be blamed for the Maple Leafs’ losses, but the netminder has allowed four goals in each of the team’s defeats. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 45 saves in each of the last two games, looking much more confident after struggling in Game 2.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, CBC, RDS, NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS: Defenseman Mark Fraser, who left Wednesday’s game after blocking a slap shot by Milan Lucic with his face in overtime, underwent surgery to repair a broken bone on Thursday and is resting at home. “(Fraser’s) done a great job all year for us physically, playing big minutes,” captain Dion Phaneuf told reporters. “He’s just a great teammate. It was a scary situation, but we’re glad he’s doing OK.” Blue-liner John-Michael Liles, a healthy scratch since Game 1, likely will take Fraser’s spot in the lineup. After a frustrating regular season, defenseman Jake Gardiner is flourishing in the playoffs with four points in three games. Gardiner played 12 games during the regular season and registered just four assists, but he has a point in each postseason game he’s played. Gardiner is tied with Joffrey Lupul for the team scoring lead.
ABOUT THE BRUINS: Krejci’s scoring line with Lucic and Nathan Horton has been Boston’s primary offensive weapon throughout the series. Horton (three goals, three assists) and Lucic (six assists) are tied for second in team scoring behind Krejci. Captain Zdeno Chara had a breakout game offensively on Wednesday, assisting on all four goals to vault into fourth on the team with five points. No other Bruins player has more than two. Despite firing a team-high 18 shots, Tyler Seguin has yet to record a point in the series. Patrice Bergeron, second on the team with 16 shots, scored on a power play in Game 4 for his first tally since March 27. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk leads the team with 20 hits and 18 blocked shots while also contributing two goals after only scoring once in 44 regular-season contests. Both of Boychuk’s goals were scored in Boston.
OVERTIME
1. Toronto is 2-12-1 in its last 15 games in Boston.
2. Krejci, who led the Bruins with 23 points during their 2011 Stanley Cup championship run, has 57 points in 63 career playoff games.
3. Maple Leafs LW Clarke MacArthur scored his first career playoff goal on Wednesday after being a healthy scratch for Games 2 and 3.
PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 2