Bruins push Maple Leafs to brink with Game 4 win

TORONTO-- Tuukka Rask made 31 saves for the Boston Bruins in a 3-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Air Canada Centre on Thursday.

Boston leads the best-of-7 series 3-1 and can end it at home in Game 5 on Saturday.
"On the road, you're going to need a little extra at some point, especially against a team that was down a couple (after two games) in our building, so we got it, we got it," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We needed it because early on they were better, and then when we found our legs and started managing the puck a little better, got stronger on it, then we came on and scored some goals for him."
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Brad Marchand scored the tiebreaking goal, and David Pastrnak had two assists for the Bruins, who played without injured center Patrice Bergeron.
"We don't have a panic button here," Boston center David Krejci said. "If a guy's down, other guys have to step up. It was big, but the game is behind us now, let's get ready for Game 5."
Tomas Plekanec scored and Frederik Andersen made 18 saves for the Maple Leafs.

"I didn't think we had everyone going. They scored the first shift, but I thought we took over and had the game well in control," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. "Even when we were down 2-1, I thought we were in a great spot, playing good. When Patrice Bergeron didn't play tonight, you're set up pretty good. You've got to find a way to win, this is in our building. You've got to win."
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead with 3:05 left in the second period when Marchand scored after taking a pass from Pastrnak on a 2-on-1. Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner pinched at the offensive blue line and Pastrnak got past him with the puck.
"He makes that play a lot; he's a phenomenal playmaker and he makes a lot of plays when he's kind of looking you off," Marchand said. "I kind of figured that it would be coming that way. He's done that a few times this year."
Pastrnak and Marchand were on the ice for 1:05 when the Bruins iced the puck but decided to stay on instead of changing once the 2-on-1 developed.
"When we got the chance to go on a 2-on-1, you always find the energy for that somehow," Pastrnak said.
Rask stopped Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner on a breakaway earlier in the period with the game tied.
"It happened pretty quick, I had time to get my gap," Rask said. "He shot and I just tried to have my gap in control. He's a pretty goal-scorer so I had no idea what he was going to do."

Jake DeBrusk made it 3-1 at 4:17 of the third period when he took a pass from Krejci on a 2-on-1.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead 28 seconds into the first period when Torey Krug scored with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.
Plekanec tied it 1-1 at 7:43 when he took a pass in the slot from Marner, who was on one knee. It was Plekanec's first goal in 21 games with the Maple Leafs since being acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 25.

Goal of the game

Marchand's goal at 16:55 of the second period.

Save of the game

Rask's save on Marner at 9:05 of the second period.

Highlight of the game

Rask's save on Patrick Marleau 25 seconds into the second period.

They said it

"The last period was our best period for sure, but we hung in there and we capitalized on our chances when we got them. Sometimes when you play a team who is desperate and needs to win, you have to weather the storm, and I think today, we did. We did it together, and at the end of the day we got the W." -- Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask
"The great thing about playoff time and being a young guy is you get lots of lessons. No one is more aware of this than he is, I can tell you that right now. I'm assuming that he thought he was going to come tonight and dominate the game, that's what I thought. I thought the same with Willie (Nylander), but that didn't happen. The other people you're playing against are pros and they're trying too, and they're competitive." -- Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock on 20-year-old Auston Matthews

Need to know

Bergeron is day to day with an upper-body injury. Boston was 9-2-2 during the regular season without him. ... Krug's goal was the fastest to start a playoff game since James van Riemsdyk scored for the Philadelphia Flyers 29 seconds into Game 2 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Bruins. ... Krejci played 13:07 and was plus-1 in his 100th Stanley Cup Playoff game. ... Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri is eligible to return in Game 5 from his three-game suspension for boarding Tommy Wingels in Game 1.

What's next

Game 5 of Eastern Conference First Round at TD Garden on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS)