Brad Marchand led the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs with a tie-breaking goal and an empty-netter, giving Boston a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Oh, what a night for Boston Bruins’ captain, the notorious Brad Marchand. He was on fire, leading his team to victory on Wednesday. With just over 8 minutes left, Marchand broke the deadlock, making it 3-2. And then? He sealed the deal with an empty-net goal. This clinched a 4-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
The Bruins now lead the series 2-1 in the Eastern Conference first-round playoffs. Can’t wait for Game 4, happening Saturday at 8 p.m. EST. Marchand’s crucial goal? It came just 28 seconds after Tyler Bertuzzi of the Maple Leafs tied things up. Talk about timing.
Marchand wasn’t done yet. He threw in an assist for good measure and nailed an empty-netter with 36 seconds to go. This guy’s playoff goal tally? A whopping 55, tying him with Boston’s own Cam Neely. That’s a record for the Bruins.
At 35, Marchand’s among the elite, one of five Bruins to hit 400 goals. He’s in good company with legends like Johnny Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Patrice Bergeron, and Rick Middleton. With 401 goals, he’s just a whisker away from overtaking Middleton.
The Bruins kept things interesting, switching up their goaltenders. Jeremy Swayman? Absolutely stellar, saving 28 shots. Trent Frederic and Jake DeBrusk also found the net for Boston. Meanwhile, Toronto’s Matthew Knies scored, but they felt the absence of William Nylander.
