ECQF Game 2: Leafs Draw Even With 4-2 Win Over Bruins
The Toronto Maple Leafs served notice that they will not be a pushover after all in their first round series with the Boston Bruins after taking game 2 by a score of 4-2. James Reimer and Joffrey Lupul led the leafs with 39 saves and a pair of goals respectively to allow the Leafs to return home with home ice advantage and a boatload of confidence.
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