Final - 2OT
Bruins top Leafs in SO, improve playoff position
Apr 5, 2015 - 4:41 AM Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Patrice Bergeron posted his club's lone goal in regulation and netted the winner in a shootout, which enabled Boston to come away with a 2-1 victory over Toronto at TD Garden.Tuukka Rask stopped 27 shots for the Bruins, who tied fellow wild-card hopeful Pittsburgh with 95 points and maintained a three-point edge over Ottawa in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
James Reimer made 49 saves to secure one point for the Maple Leafs, who received a second-period score from James van Riemsdyk.
"They come in here, they've got nothing to lose except a lot to gain by being spoilers," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. "Then all of a sudden you've got a lot of opportunities, their goaltender is starting to feel it, he feels invincible, and then you're trying to put pucks past him."
Bergeron closed out the second round with his successful shot, a wrister from in close which beat a back-sliding Reimer just over his right pad.
Nazem Kadri could have kept the Leafs alive, but Rask failed to bite on his quick stick fake and stopped the chance with his left pad to end the contest.
"Everyone is playing desperate hockey, good hockey, and it definitely keeps us on our toes," Bergeron admitted.
Reimer halted 19 Bruins opportunities and Rask was good on six Leafs chances in a scoreless initial frame.
Bergeron produced the game's opening goal just 19 seconds into the second period.
Van Riemsdyk was credited with the tying goal at 14:31, a puck which appeared to have been accidentally batted off Rask and over the goal line by defenseman Adam McQuaid before the Toronto forward was able to tap it with his own stick.
"I just was going to the net. I didn't even really see (Rielly) shoot it," van Riemsdyk said. "I got a good bounce."
That bit of misfortune was the only one of 12 shots Reimer allowed past him in the middle frame before he halted an additional 16 in the third period and overtime.
Reimer closed off the short side to deny a David Pastrnak backhander with just over three minutes left in regulation.
Game Notes
Boston's 50 shots on goal were a season high ... Forward Brett Connolly made his Bruins home debut after recovering from broken hand suffered shortly after his trade-deadline acquisition from Tampa Bay ... The Maple Leafs have dropped seven straight road contests.
- TORONTO: 1
BOSTON: 2
Final - 2OT
Apr 4 9:53 PM - TORONTO: 1
BOSTON: 1
End of OT
Apr 4 9:50 PM - TORONTO: 1
BOSTON: 1
End of Regulation
Apr 4 9:41 PM - TORONTO: 1
BOSTON: 1
End of 2nd
Apr 4 8:50 PM - TORONTO: 0
BOSTON: 0
End of 1st
Apr 4 7:57 PM - TORONTO: 0
BOSTON: 0
1st Period - 19:56
Apr 4 7:19 PM
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