The Boston Bruins have been on a mission to finish their three-game highway journey on a excessive be aware.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, nonetheless, ensured that wouldn’t come to fruition for the Black and Gold on Saturday evening at Scotiabank Area.
Toronto put Boston to the final word check, scoring six occasions with three coming from Matthew Knies’ first profession hat trick en path to handing the Bruins a 6-4 loss. That charged Boston with its third consecutive defeat, leaving a bitter style within the mouths of the B’s earlier than returning residence and turning the web page.
“I feel if we performed good defensive hockey like we had been, we win that recreation simply,” Trent Frederic instructed reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame protection. “I feel the way in which our crew performs we are able to management (the lapses). I feel a few of it’s on us and I suppose we’ll sort of watch it tomorrow and determine it out.”
Knies was the lone killer that anchored Boston’s momentum from begin to end, however that’s nothing new. The 22-year-old entered the matchup having netted two objectives within the two earlier conferences between the Bruins and Maple Leafs this season and continued the dominance. Knies scored as soon as within the second interval and twice within the third interval — each occasions netting go-ahead objectives — to drown Boston’s comeback bid.
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On the brilliant aspect, the Bruins by no means gave in.
Boston combated Knies and the Maple Leafs with two equalizers, one from Morgan Geekie and the opposite from David Pastrnak. Nonetheless, the grit wasn’t sufficient.
“It was humorous, the primary interval we had them taking some defensive zone face-off attracts,” Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco stated, as seen on NESN’s postgame protection. “In all probability three I consider off the highest of my head. However we by no means actually made them defend. They have been in a position to get on the assault an excessive amount of in order that’s on us. We get 4 tonight and we gave up too many so uncharacteristic.”
Sacco added: “Preserving the puck out of our internet is our No. 1 precedence and we didn’t do a ok job of that tonight.”
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Boston dropped to 20-17-4 with the loss.
Listed below are extra notes from Saturday evening’s Bruins-Maple Leafs matchup:
— Boston ended its 0-3 highway journey scoring two objectives per contest, permitting 3.7 to opponents and going 0-for-5 on the facility play. Toronto scored two empty netters within the third interval, inflating its objective whole from 4 to 6.
“Too straightforward, the objectives they scored,” Pastrnak instructed reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame protection. “I feel we didn’t do a lot to forestall. We received 4 however we’re chasing the entire recreation so I’m unsure if that’s good.”
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— The Bruins hadn’t reached the four-goal plateau since Dec. 28, scoring a mixed two as an alternative in opposition to the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers to start the highway journey.
“Hopefully it encourages guys, provides guys confidence — myself included — that we are able to begin serving to out the crew right here and get extra objectives,” Frederic stated, per NESN.
— Geekie received the Black and Gold on the board within the second interval, netting his ninth objective of the season. The 26-year-old is as much as seven objectives, together with two game-winners, and 5 assists amid a 16-game stretch that dates again to Dec. 16.
— The Maple Leafs have taken two of three matchups this season in opposition to the Bruins. Each groups will meet once more for one ultimate time on Feb. 25 in Boston.
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— The Bruins return residence to host the New York Islanders on Sunday in hopes of ending the stoop. Puck drop from TD Backyard is about for six p.m. ET, and you may watch the sport, plus a full hour of pregame protection, stay on NESN.