Bruins 4 - Leafs 2: Bruins Rake Leafs Out of Playoff Run

The Boston Bruins (38-28-10) continue their playoffs push with a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday night, 4-2 .

With a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, in Toronto, the Bruins had a lot of momentum as they finished the season series with the Maple Leafs in Boston, winning the season series, 6-2.

The Leafs (34-32-10) needed every point they could get as they were six points behind the eighth place Bruins.

As the puck dropped the Leafs knew the points wouldn’t come easy. In the first period Toronto got a bunch of quality chances as play went on for twelve straight minuets but Tim Thomas came through with key saves.

The Bruins also getting there fair share of chances testing Toronto goalie, Vesa Toskla. The Bruins had 10 shots in the first and one was a goal. 16:47 into the first period, David Krejci breaks down the ice on a 3-on-2 break with Glen Murray and Marco Sturm.  He finds Sturm and the Bruins would finish the period ahead 1-0.  

The second period got underway with Darcy Tucker still in the box from for high sticking at 18:38 of the first period. The Bruins came out on the power play but couldn’t convert and the ice began to tilt in the Maple Leafs favor.

4:47 into the second Jiri Tlusty scores with assists from Leafs captain Matts Sundin and center Nik Antropov.  Toronto had stolen the momentum from Boston and the score was tied 1-1.

Toronto trying to catch a break with momentum on there side and they got one as the Bruins' Shawn Thorton went to the box for high sticking at 11:41 of the second period. The Leafs would go on the power play but wouldn’t be able to convert.

Then at 16:52 Boston would go back on the power play as Leafs' Alexei Ponikorovisky would head to the box for tripping.  The Bruins would not convert again and finish the period 0 for 2 on the power play with Toronto finishing the period 0 for 1.

Toronto had  one more period to try and stay alive and be within 4 points of the eighth place Bruins but the Bruins decided to finish the game their way.

Boston would win the face off and get a shot off but Taskla would glove it and hang on. Then 5:47 in to the third Shane Hnidy sends a long pass to Peter Schafer who would find Phil Kessel ahead of the play and for the score.

Toronto couldn’t believe that the offside was not called on Kessel, but the goal would stand and give Boston the 2-1 lead.

Then at 9:53 Toronto’s Ian White would go to the box for hooking and the Bruins would get a third chance on the power play.  The Bruins would win the face off and set up in the Toronto zone. Aaron Ward would pass to David Krejci who would find Murray giving Boston a 3-1 lead and a power play goal at 10:54 of the third.

As play continued the Maple Leafs would gain possession in the Boston zone behind the net. Krejci would get his arm around the player and go to the box for holding at 13:47 of the third. With just 47 seconds left on the Toronto power play, Pavel Kubina would get a one-timer from Jason Blake to make the game 3-2.

Then just 23 seconds later Vladimir Sobotka would pass to Phil Kessel who would find Peter Schafer for the 4-2 lead and victory.

The Bruins would knock the Leafs out of the playoffs and climb up to 7^th place.