Need to Know: Bruins vs. Maple Leafs | Game 2

BOSTON – The Bruins will be aiming to take a 2-0 series lead over the Maple Leafs when they host Game 2 of their first-round playoff matchup on Monday night at TD Garden. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 7 p.m. ET puck drop on NESN, ESPN, and 98.5 The Sports Hub:

Building Their Game

Coach Jim Montgomery was pleased with a number of areas of the Bruins’ game in the series opener on Saturday night, including the physical nature of their play and the way they kept Toronto at bay offensively. He’d like to see it continue.

“I liked our physicality, that’s got to be repeated,” said Montgomery. “I liked how we got over top of people, didn’t give up too much off the rush. That’s really important against an electric offensive team.”

Veteran blue liner Kevin Shattenkirk added that there is still plenty for the Bruins’ to improve upon despite their 5-1 win in Game 1.

"I think we know that we're gonna get a team that's gonna be playing very desperate. I'm sure they're gonna make corrections in their game,” said Shattenkirk. “I think the great part about [Sunday] and today is that there were a lot of things that we can work on, too, to improve our game. That wasn't our ceiling, by any means. We can be a lot better in certain areas. It’s an awesome opportunity for us to level up.”

Forbort Rejoins Team

Derek Forbort, who has not played since March 2 after undergoing multiple surgical procedures, rejoined his teammates on Monday for the B’s morning skate at Warrior Ice Arena. The blue liner is nearing a potential return to game action, a possibility he did not foresee coming so quickly.

"It was fine. Trying to get my legs back and timing and see how I felt,” said Forbort. “The timeline we got from the surgeons was a little longer than what we've got here. Probably when I got back on the ice a couple weeks after the procedures, I was feeling pretty good.

“We're getting close. Just trying to do as much extra stuff out there, trying to get the conditioning back and trying to get the strength back.

“It's exciting, just fun being out there and feeling normal again. Just having fun, being out there with the guys and enjoying it.”

Forbort acknowledged that his season had not gone according to plan due to the injuries he was playing for, leaving him with no choice but to go under the knife.

“It wasn’t very fun,” said Forbort. “But that’s hockey and that’s the way it goes sometimes…one of the hardest parts is I kind of felt like the harder I worked in practice and tried to do extra stuff getting up to speed, kind of the worse I got. It was brutal.”

The blue liner played two games for the Providence Bruins over the weekend as part of a conditioning stint.

“He is making progressions that hopefully in the near future he might an option,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “[He played] a better game two than game one, timing was better. Talking to him, he felt like his timing was better…I think he is going to travel.”

Wait, There’s More

• Montgomery did not reveal a starting goaltender for Game 2. “I don’t like keeping you guys [the media] in the dark. Do any of you play Wordle? The starting goalie tonight has two vowels in his first and last name,” Montgomery said with a smirk. “I don’t know why we would divulge information. If you’re preparing a game, there’s parts of the goaltender that are parts of your pre-scout. That’s an advantage for us…I don’t tell my wife, I’m not telling you.”
• While Jake DeBrusk was not about to try to decipher Montgomery’s message, he did say the team has total trust in both Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. “I actually don’t know what vowels those even are,” said DeBrusk. “We have confidence in both guys. Both guys have won lots of games for us this year. It’s one of those things where it’s intimidating for the other team. You have two starting goaltenders. For us, we want to play well enough in front of either of them. It’s one of those things where we don’t even know.”
• Justin Brazeau skated, once again, before practice, but is not likely to return before a potential second round, according to Montgomery.
• Toronto winger William Nylander participated in Toronto’s morning skate after missing Game 1, though according to media reports he did not partake in line rushes and remained on the ice after the main portion of the session concluded.

Monday’s Projected Lineup

FORWARDS

Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Jake DeBrusk

Danton Heinen – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak

Jakub Lauko – Morgan Geekie – Trent Frederic

Johnny Beecher – Jesper Boqvist – Pat Maroon

DEFENSEMEN

Hampus Lindholm – Charlie McAvoy

Matt Grzelcyk – Brandon Carlo

Kevin Shattenkirk – Andrew Peeke

GOALIES

Jeremy Swayman/Linus Ullmark