Bruins Sweep Maple Leafs in 2023-24 with 4-1 Win

For the first time since 2011-12, the Boston Bruins swept the Toronto Maple Leafs in the season series with a physical, playoff-atmosphere 4-1 win.

BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins played the most physical game of the season and rode a dominant second period to a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden on Thursday.

Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves for Boston, which improved to 37-13-15. Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk each had two assists.

On a night where the 2011 Stanley Cup team was honored in a pregame Era Night ceremony, the Bruins started off with a pop, dominating the offensive zone with a physical game.

"I thought we were finishing checks," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. "And I thought, in turn, when we got the lead and the game got out of hand, they got physical in that- trying to send a message maybe for the playoffs potentially. ... I liked our physicality. Theirs is a little too late."

An interference penalty from Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe on DeBrusk and a questionable roughing penalty on Leafs forward Matthew Knies -- it was McCabe who cross-checked Marchand in the face, but he received no penalty for it -- set the Bruins up with a 5-on-3 power play where David Pastrnak capitalized for his 39th goal of the season.

Boston held Toronto without a shot on goal until 6:42 of the first period, but it was Frederic who made it 2-0 Boston at 4:16 of the second period, picking the puck off Leafs forward William Nylander and cashing in on the breakaway.

“These teams are so talented offensively, obviously, and they can find seam passes,” Swayman said. “But to see in our guys take an extra initiative blocking seam passes, blocking shots, clearing rebounds, that’s playoff hockey and that’s something that we really want to build on moving forward.”

Mitch Marner cut it to 2-1 at 7:56 on the power play off a miscue from Danton Heinen, but Morgan Geekie pushed it to 3-1 at 17:16 after a great set-up by Kevin Shattenkirk.

Brandon Carlo added the insurance tally with a shot from the point at 18:23 for the 4-1 final. It was Boston's second win against Toronto in four days, and the seventh in a row.

“No matter what happens [in the regular season], it means nothing,” Marchand said. “Once playoff time starts, it’s a whole new season.”