Leafs Take Down Bruins 3-2

Yes, they are in the playoffs, but they have been an inconsistent team for most of the year and they come into this game having lost 11 of their last 16 games.

Matthews scored his first goal of the playoffs and set up another as the Maple Leafs beat the Bruins 3-2 on Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal. Raucous, lively; the crowd was spurred on by recently retired New England Patriots great Rob Gronkowski, who was an honorary flag captain before the game and helped get the Bruins faithful riled up. As it stands right now, they have just $3.7 million in cap space next season and are faced with the prospect of signing Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, the last of which has arbitration rights, as restricted free agents and likely replacing Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey.

"You weather the storm and you move on and you play your game".

"We had a group of young guys", said Zaitsev.

I also expected the referees to grant each team a few more power-play opportunities in Game 3 compared to the seven that were handed out during a much more physically intense game on Saturday, but that didn't materialize either. We felt like we needed to play more that style. We wanted to win (Saturday), we didn't, we split, we head home. "We're getting a little bit frustrated, but it's a long series". Pastrnak was pressing to get a final chance in the final seconds of Game 3, yet Marner blocked not one, but two shots to ice the win (and he'll probably need to ice the spots that were wounded by those attempts). He was offered an in-person hearing by the NHL, meaning the league had the option to suspend him for more than five games. He was banned three games last spring for boarding Boston's Tommy Wingels.

Kadri hit DeBrusk in the third period of Boston's 4-1 victory. "Obviously, Kadri stayed down, I mean that's his prerogative when you get hit". "I didn't see it and haven't reviewed it because it was down the wall from us". Playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs isn't supposed to be easy and it's worth it.

It seems like Coach Bruce Cassidy has a well-defined strategy for the coming season and seems confident in the team. However, things took a dramatic shift for the 2013 Leafs when they went on to lose two at home, allowing 9 goals and being pushed to the brink of elimination.

There were other instances of bad blood.

November 15, 2013: Sat 3 games for hit to the head of Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom. No penalty was called. The fact that DeBrusk has been able to lure Kadri into a smashmouth competition is laughable.

Kadri was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking. Halfway through the second period, defenseman Erik Gudbranson picked up the first goal of the game for the Penguins. Tuukka Rask stopped 30 shots, while Marchand added an assist.

That line put in a solid 20 minutes in the first period, creating some good scoring chances, and was rewarded in the second. Marchand made the lead 2-0 as he scored with four minutes remaining in the first period. He had company, as none of his teammates performed to the level they did on Thursday. He might not have a choice if Kadri is suspended.

That is the good that he provides, and why he should, in theory, unquestionably be a part of the team's future. "It's our turn to come out with a push. We'll clean it up and get ready for the next one".