May 4, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski (84) celebrates a goal by Toronto Maple Leafs left wing James van Riemsdyk (not pictured) during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Boston actually opened the scoring after an entertaining but scoreless first period.  Early in the second, Nathan Horton knocked home a rebound off of Milan Lucic‘s shot with his skate to make it 1-0 before the period was 2 minutes old.  Then the Leafs took the game over.   First, Lupul shot home a rebound of his own off Jake Gardiner‘s shot  on the power play to even the score about three and a half minutes later.  Then Lupul struck again just before the 12 minute mark after Matt Frattin rushed the puck into the Bruins zone and fed a pass across the slot that Lupul backhanded home to give the Leafs the lead, which is how the second period would end.

Phil Kessel opened the third period converting a breakaway pass from Nazem Kadri to score his first even strength goal against the Bruins since being traded from Boston four years ago.  The two goal cushion was much welcomed, and was needed as Boston didn’t quit coming.  Johnny Boychuk‘s point shot got past Reimer to bring the Bruins within one with over 9 minutes left to play.  Boston peppered Reimer with 13 shots in the third, but the Boychuck goal was the only one that would get past him.  James van Riemsdyk scored a nice spin-o-rama goal right in front of Tuukka Rask to ice the game with just over 3 minutes left to cap the scoring.

SENSHOT’S 3 STARS

1. James Reimer

2. Joffrey Lupul

3. Matt Frattin

Game 3 goes Monday night at 7:00 pm.  It will be the first playoff game in Toronto since May 4, 2004 when the Leafs were eliminated in 6 games by the Flyers in the Conference semi-finals.

OTHER GAMES OF THE NIGHT

Washington Shuts Out The Rangers 1-0 in OT, take 2-0 series lead

Quick Shuts Out Blues, Kings get back into Series

Hiller blanks Wings, Ducks take series lead

Apr 20, 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Chris Neil (25) collides with Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James reimer (34) in the second period at Scotiabank Place. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

GAME RECAP

First big event was Matt Kassian – Fraser McLaren and the headbutt heard around Ontario.  With McLaren being soundly beaten the Leafs enforcer resorted to an attempted hair-pull and at least 3 battering-ram headbutts to try to turn the tide.    Toronto had a goal called back after the fact because Leo Komarov had bumped goalie Craig Anderson moments before the puck went in.  Erik Condra had a golden chance in front, but was unable to lift the puck over Reimer’s pad.  Ottawa dominated on the shot clock and had the Leafs on their heels, but despite outshooting the Leafs 18-5, the teams went to their respective rooms knotted at 0.

After a end to end start to the second period, a shot from Cody Franson deflected off James van Riemsdyk and bounced past Anderson to give the Leafs the lead. A brief scare arose as Daniel Alfredsson went to the dressing room with the trainer and the doctor, but returned shortly thereafter. A high sticking penalty to Zack Smith on Colton Orr proved costly as van Riemsdyk counted again knocking in a loose puck after Marc Methot blocked a Phil Kessel shot.  Just when it looked like Ottawa wold be down 2-0 after 40 minutes, a turnover in the Toronto zone ended up on the stick of Jakob Silfverberg, whose quick release beat Reimer from the top of the circle, with just 43 seconds left in the period.

The first half of the third was very uneventful, and it took almost 12 minutes to really get going.  After a flurry of chances for the Senators were denied, Nazem Kadri beat Anderson with a soft shot that somehow slipped through the goalie’s legs to restore Toronto’s 2 goal lead. Ottawa got a late power play after Phil Kessel slashed Chris Neil, but they could not get closer.  Then a bobble at the Toronto blue line by Sergei Gonchar allowed Joffrey Lupul to break in alone, beating Anderson.  The Ottawa goalie got some of it, but not enough to keep it out, and with less than 2 minutes remaining, it was over.  The

OBSERVATIONS

• It has been a rare occasion this season that Anderson has allowed a weak goal, but Kadri’s third period marker was a back-breaker and one that he should have had.  I don’t want to over-hype the impact of it, but that single goal might just cost him whatever chance he had to win the Vezina….a backbreaking goal on National Television, with not a ton of support for giving the award to a player who played just half of their team’s games.
• This tweet from the TEAM1200′s A.J. Jakubec pretty much says it all:

Sens haven’t been out-goaltended very often this season. This is one of those nights. Dominating the Leafs despite the score. #Sens

— AJ Jakubec (@AJonSports) April 21, 2013

• Ottawa needs a combination of their points and Winnipeg missed points to equal 4 in order to clinch a playoff spot, so it is still not time to panic.

SENSHOT’S PLAYER OF THE GAME

Jakob Silfverberg had the Ottawa goal, and could have had a couple more.  He led all Ottawa forwards with 5 shots on goal.

UP NEXT

Ottawa will regroup for another tough game, when the Penguins come to town to face the Senators on Monday night.