NHL playoffs 2018: Maple Leafs squeeze by Bruins, force a Game 6

Evan Sporer

•
NHL playoffs 2018: Maple Leafs squeeze by Bruins, force a Game 6 image

As the shots continued to pour in on Frederik Andersen in the third period, it was hard for one not to wonder, or even anticipate, a tying goal from the Boston Bruins.

Though the Maple Leafs had led by as many as three in the second period, Boston cut that deficit to two before the second intermission, and quickly to one in the third period. With the ice titled in Boston's favor, and history not on the Maple Leafs side, the Bruins chase of a one-goal lead seemed like one they would catch, even as they battled the clock.

But Andersen stood tall, and these Leafs will win another day.

Facing a do-or-die Game 5 at TD Garden Saturday night, the Maple Leafs defeated the Bruins 4-3, staving off elimination to force a Game 6, which will come Monday in Toronto at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs now trail in the best-of-seven first-round series, 3-2.

Toronto matched its best offensive output of the series when James van Riemsdyk scored on the power play in the second period to extend the Maple Leafs' lead to 4-1. But that also conjured up memories of 2013, when the Maple Leafs squandered a 4-1 lead in Game 7 in the Bruins before eventually falling in overtime. 

Narratives aside, there was no comeback this time around for the Bruins, who despite scoring twice after falling behind by three goals, could never come up with the tying marker.

Andersen made 42 saves, including 19 on 20 shots in the third period with the Bruins buzzing and searching for the equalizer.

Tyler Bozak, Andreas Johnsson, and Connor Brown also scored for Toronto, the latter two with their first career playoff goals. Noel Acciari, Sean Kuraly, and David Backes scored for Boston, who dominated the run of play after Toronto took a 4-1 lead. The Bruins pulled starting goaltender Tuuka Rask after that goal, having allowed four on 13 shots.

Anton Khudobin took over the crease for the Bruins, but faced eight shots in the 26:37 he played.

The Maple Leafs quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, needing five shots to get that advantage. Brown scored first after an Auston Matthews wrap-around attempt was blocked by Torey Krug, but his new linemate Brown flew in and batted the puck out of midair to break the ice 6:36 into regulation.

Johnsson doubled that lead about four minutes later when he broke in all alone on Rask before slipping the puck behind him. Johnsson was picked out by teammate Nazem Kadri, who came back for Game 5 after serving a three-game suspension. kadri played 13:58 in his return to the series.

While Backes scored on the power play midway through the second to cut the Bruins deficit to 2-1, the Maple Leafs quickly recouped their two-goal lead. Bozak got that lead back 51 seconds later when Morgan Rielly joined the rush and found Bozak with a cross-ice pass that put him in deep below the circles. van Riemsdyk pushed the lead to 4-1 79 seconds later when he roofed a shot under the crossbar on the power play, ending Rask's night.

The Bruins didn't wait for the third period to begin mounting their comeback though, and Kuraly scored 2:42 remaining the second to make the third period task a little bit more manageable for the home team. Acciari managed to bank a puck off Andersen's skate and in 5:56 into the third period, cutting the Maple Leafs lead to 4-3 with plenty of time remaining to chase a fourth goal.

But Andersen stood tall, racking up saves in the third period, and helping the Maple Leafs to force a Game 6.

Live updates from Game 5 below. All times Eastern ...

10:58 p.m.  The Maple Leafs survive Game 5, despite conceding 20 shots in the third period. Frederik Andersen stops 19 of them, and Toronto survives a tense final 10 minutes to force a Game 6, which will come Monday in Toronto.  Maple Leafs win, 4-3

10:54 p.m.  The Maple Leafs are giving Frederik Andersen clear sightlines on shooters. Torey Krug's shot off the half wall his Andersen in the logo and there's no rebound. With 32.8 seconds remaining, the Bruins take a timeout. Offensive zone faceoff coming up.

10:53 p.m.  With 70 seconds remaining in regulation, Anton Khudobin head to the bench for an extra skater.

10:45 p.m.  A great, clean look for Jake DeBrusk in front of the net but his shot misses everything. Matt Grzelcyk gets a chance later in the sequence walking down from the point but Frederik Andersen comes out, makes himself big, and gobbles up the rebound. There's 4:35 remaining in regulation.

10:35 p.m.  Brad Marchand gets a lot of space to fly in down the wing, but Frederik Andersen cuts down the angle and swallows up the shot. Leafs still leading by a goal with 9:25 to play.

10:26 p.m.  Could almost feel the Bruins goal coming. An awkward bouncing puck near the side of the goal ends up on Noel Acciari's stick, and he banks one in off Frederik Andersen's skate. Bruins now trailing by a goal with over 14 minutes to play in regulation.  Maple Leafs lead, 4-3

10:23 p.m.  The Bruins work the puck out from behind the net and a big scrum of players to an open David Pastrnak creeping down from the point. He powers a one-timer that Frederik Andersen comes high into his crease to stop, but not comfortably, peeking behind him. The puck stays out though, the the Maple Leafs kill off the power play to maintain their 4-2 lead.

10:21 p.m.  Noel Acciari does well to gain the blue line and get the puck deep, and he ends up drawing a penalty. Travis Dermott goes off for tripping 3:10 into the third, and it's back to the power play for Boston (1-for-5 on the game with nine shots) and a chance to get a goal back.

10:19 p.m.  A couple of very close calls for the Bruins in the opening minutes. A Charlie McAvoy shot hits Travis Dermott's leg and rings the post. Bruins buzzing to start the third and chasing that 4-2 deficit.

10:16 p.m.  The Maple Leafs kill the carryover 33 seconds of Andreas Johnsson's tripping minor, and the teams are back to even strength. Frederik Andersen made two saves in the dying seconds of that PK, and Rick Nash nearly managed to beat him on a rebound.

10:15 p.m.  Back for the third at TD Garden. The Maple hold a two-goal lead and are 20 minutes away from winning Game 5 and forcing a Game 6 back in Toronto.

9:58 p.m.  That'll do it for period two. The Maple Leafs hold a 4-2 lead through 40 minutes of a must-win Game 5, but the Bruins will begin the third with 33 seconds of carryover time on the power play.

9:53 p.m.  The Bruins really pushing now in the final minutes of the second period. They'll get another power play opportunity with Andreas Johnsson called for tripping with 87 seconds remaining in the second period. Toronto had a chance to get out of this period leading 4-1, and a Bruins power-play goal here could cut the lead to 4-3.

9:50 p.m.  The Bruins clearly with some momentum off that power play time though, and Sean Kuraly punches home a rebound in front to bring the Bruins a little closer. With 2:42 remaining they get one goal closer, making the climb a little easier for the third. Maple Leafs lead, 4-2

9:48 p.m.  A monumental penalty kill from Toronto, with some dogged word from Frederik Andersen and the skaters in front of him, and the Maple Leafs kill off both penalties while maintaining their 4-1 lead.

9:45 p.m.  A big opportunity coming here for Boston. After Tyler Bozak goes off for interference, Roman Polak gets called for slashing just 26 seconds later, and it will be 1:34 of 5-on-3 time for Boston.

9:42 p.m.  A three-goal deficit means it's time to set the tone.

Anton Khudobin coming in now for the Bruins, after Tukka Rask allowed four goals on 13 shots.

9:38 p.m.  And it's the dreaded 4-1 lead for Toronto. Mitch Marner finds James van Riemsdyk all alone in front, and he roofs a shot under the crossbar and past Tuukka Rask.  Maple Leafs lead, 4-1

9:37 p.m.  Maple Leafs going to get a chance to extend their lead here with their first power play of the game. Matt Grzelcyk's stick gets stuck in the skate of Andreas Johnsson, and Toronto heads to the power play with 8:36 to play in the second period.

9:33 p.m.  The Maple Leafs get their two-goal lead right back. Another stretch pass springs the Maple Leafs onto the offensive, Morgan Rielly joins the rush, and he finds Tyler Bozak diagonally down the zone all alone, and Bozak beats Tukkka Rask from the side of the net. The goals come just 51 seconds apart.  Maple Leafs lead, 3-1

9:30 p.m.  A quick conversion for Boston on the power play. A couple of shots off an offensive zone faceoff win miss the net, but the last one caroms off the end boards and out to the front, and it's David Backes jumping on the loose puck and stuffing it in.  Maple Leafs lead, 2-1

9:27 p.m.  Between all the shot blocking and other work by the Maple Leafs in the defensive zone, the Bruins aren't getting much. But after breaking up one two-man rush between David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, Nikita Zaitsev trips up Pastrnak on their next trip up the ice. The Bruins head to the power play with 10:32 to play in the second, and a chance to cut their deficit in half.

9:22 p.m.  Interesting form from Nazem Kadri on this shot block, with the puck getting both legs (but not getting any further).

9:15 p.m.  The Maple Leafs nearly get their lead to 3-0. A neat give-and-go by William Nylander and Nazem Kadri coming down the wing, and the former swings in front of the net for a stuff try on the backhand, by Tuukka Rask stretches out and makes a very difficult save to keep the deficit at 2-0.

9:12 p.m. Back for more hockey in Boston, with the puck down for the second period. A good push by the Maple Leafs right at the end of the first after Boston really pushed hard after falling behind 2-0.

8:53 p.m.  Well that was certainly a fast-paced, entertaining first period. The Maple Leafs score twice in the opening 20, half of the goals they managed in Games 1 and 2 in Boston. Each goal was a playoff first, Connor Brown giving Toronto a 1-0 lead, and then Andreas Johnsson doubling it. The Maple Leafs take a 2-0 lead into the locker room in a must-win Game 5. The Maple Leafs did not record a shot on goal after going up 2-0 (though that does not include Travis Dermott's shot that hit the post) and the Bruins hold a 15-6 edge in that category.

8:52 p.m.  Now it's the Maple Leafs who ring iron. Travis Dermott skates a puck in over the blue line and his slap shot catches the post and ricochets out. Toronto beginning to generate some zone time after being hemmed in for a bunch of shits beginning with that Boston power play.

8:51 p.m.  A much sharper looking Frederik Andersen here. David Pastrnak walks out of the corner to the front of the net with the puck on his stick, but Andersen patiently stands his ground before flexing out the left pad to turn back Pastrnak's shot from in tight.

8:50 p.m.  The last eight shots on goal in this game have belonged to the Bruins, who now hold a 14-6 edge in that department, though, a good chunk of those came on that recently expired two-minute power play.

8:47 p.m.  A big scramble in front of the net in the closing seconds of the power play but Frederik Andersen stands strong. He makes a number of saves -- at least three -- and eventually sits on a loose puck to freeze the play as the man-advantage expires.

8:46 p.m.  Boston gets a puck behind Frederik Andersen but it rings the post. David Pastrnak's point shot gets through traffic, tipped by Rick Nash, and nearly ties the game, but it just stays out as the power play continues.

8:43 p.m.  The Bruins power will get the first power play of the game and a chance to tie. An offensive zone faceoff win leads to a good chance for Rick Nash. He gets slashed on the release of his shot, and Boston head to the power play with 6:06 remaining in the first.

8:41 p.m.  After the Bruins exploded for a combined 12 goals on TD Garden ice in Games 1 and 2, it's the Maple Leafs with two quick goals on five shots to start this one.

8:35 p.m.  Another new line connects for Toronto. This time it's Andreas Johnsson getting his first career playoff goal off a slick feed from Nazem Kadri.  Maple Leafs lead, 2-0

8:30 p.m.  And the Maple Leafs have life. After Auston Matthews nearly scores on a wrap-around, his new linemate, Connor Brown, jumps on a loose puck and shoots it into an empty net. It's Brown's first career playoff goal, and it comes 6:36 into the first period to give Toronto an early lead in a crucial Game 5.  Maple Leafs lead, 1-0

8:26 p.m.  Not much action in the opening five minutes, with a shot for each team, both coming from the outside.

8:20 p.m.  The blender the Maple Leafs lines got put in was only a decoy blender. Mike Babcock continues to roll out new combinations on their opening shifts.

8:18 p.m.  The puck is down at TD Garden, and Game 5 between the Maple Leafs and Bruins has begun.

8:08 p.m.  Bruins starting with their second defensive pairing and second line.

8:04 p.m.  Let the (mindless?) mind games begin, with Mike Babcock starting out with a line he didn't show during morning skate or pregame rushes.

7:59 p.m. With the rosters officially submitted, Patrice Bergeron is in the lineup for the Bruins, meaning he returns for Game 5 after missing Game 4 due to an upper-body injury.

7:48 p.m.  The teams going through line rushes, with the Maple Leafs juggled forward groups, and the Bruins back with Bergeron up top.

7:42 p.m.  Both teams have taken the ice for warmups, and that includes Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, who, by the looks of it, will draw back into the lineup for Boston in Game 5.

A year ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs got back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a four year hiatus. It marked the next step in a rebuild for Toronto, one that ended in the first round against the Washington Capitals, but was expected to take another stride this season.

And while Toronto is back in the postseason once again in 2018, it is on the brink of elimination Saturday in Game 5 of its first-round series against the Boston Bruins, trailing 3-1.

A loss on Saturday would mean another exit in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and while the young Leafs showed fight in losing to the President's Trophy-winning Washington Capitals a year ago, this quick elimination would be marked by disappointment. 

MORE:  Babcock says Maple Leafs need to 'dig in' to save season

Toronto will return a key player back to its lineup on Saturday at TD Garden, when Nazem Kadri returns following serving a three-game suspension . Kadri was suspended for a charging penalty assessed in Game 1, during an ugly opening two games to open this series during which the Maple Leafs were out-scored 12-4.

The Bruins could also be returning a forward to the lineup, with Patrice Bergeron possibly healthy enough to play in Game 5. After missing Game 4 with an upper-body injury, head coach Bruce Cassidy made it sounds a lot like Boston's No. 1 center will be back on Saturday for the potential series-clinching contest. The Bruins won without Bergeron in the lineup on Thursday, 3-1.

It appears the Maple Leafs may do some line juggling, specifically on the right side. Connor Brown was bumped up to a spot next to Zach Hyman and Auston Matthews during morning skate on Saturday, with William Nylander skating with Andreas Johnsson and Tomas Plekanec. That also moved Kasperi Kapanen onto a line with James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak.

With a healthy Bergeron, Boston is expected to go back to its Game 3 lineup, with Bergeron centering David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, and his fill-in, Riley Nash sliding back down to the third line.

Evan Sporer