Nylander coughed up the puck in the neutral zone leading to Brad Marchand finding the overtime winner for the Bruins.
Nylander coughed up the puck in the neutral zone leading to Brad Marchand finding the overtime winner for the Bruins.
Auston Matthews goalscoring slump has ended after five games.
It seemed as though there'd be a lot of animosity going into this game given what happened in their last matchup on Nov. 2. (Brad Marchand tripped Timothy Liljegren, which caused the Maple Leafs defenseman to go on long-term injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain.)
However, things didn't boil over when Toronto and Boston were on the ice Saturday.
Both teams were fairly calm throughout, even when Ryan Reaves boarded NHL rookie Matt Poitras during the first period. There were barely any scrums after whistles making it a very calm night between the two rivals.
Boston had the first two goals in the game with David Pastrnak being involved in both. The 27-year-old beat Joseph Woll on a rocket of a shot to put the Bruins up 1-0 halfway through the first period.
And while it seemed like Toronto was still in the game through the first and second periods, Boston got on the board once again. Pastrnak with what was an incredible feed to find Kevin Shattenkirk in front for his first of the season.
Pastrnak threaded the puck through three Maple Leafs to find Shattenkirk in what was the Bruins' second five-on-five goal of the game.
Toronto found their way back into the game before Trent Frederic buried a loose puck. It's likely a goal Joseph Woll would like to have back given Frederic scored off a rebound.
But once again, a game featuring Toronto went past regulation, and the Maple Leafs fall to the Bruins courtesy of a goal from Brad Marchand.
Here are a few observations Toronto's second loss of the season to Boston.
Max Domi has first goal as a Maple Leaf
It took 22 games, but Domi finally has his first goal as a Maple Leaf. And you can tell by the celebration that he absolutely loved it.
The goal began in the neutral zone where Calle Jarnkrok found Nick Robertson. He used his speed to bring it into the zone before finding Domi all alone.
That line wasn't having much success in the first half of the game, but as the goals came, Toronto's top players found life. I wonder, with this goal, if it opens the floodgates for Domi in the next quarter of the season.
Matthews ends scoring slump with two goals
Maple Leafs head coach didn't mince his words on Saturday morning when discussing Matthews' game as of late. Keefe said the 26-year-old forward wasn't doing the things needed to get chances.
"Don't focus on the end result and get concerned with anything other than doing the things that allow you to have success," Keefe said critically.
Matthews looked hesitant at points during Saturday's game against the Bruins, though he did find the back of the net for his 15th and 16th goals of the season. Both were massive tallies for Toronto.
Matthews scored the Maple Leafs' first goal of the game and then tied it with 4.9 seconds left in the third period while the Bruins had the 3-2 lead.
Nearly every player on the ice was in front of the net before the puck popped out to Marner who then got it to Matthews for the goal. This is the 11th overtime Toronto has gone to this season.
The top-six played fairly well throughout Saturday night's game against Boston. Both of Toronto's top lines had several chances around the Bruins' net with the Matthews line being the only one to score.
Bertuzzi's stick play in particular was great on Saturday against Boston. After what was a difficult start for the 28-year-old, he seems to be finding his game with the Maple Leafs.
What stands out about his game most with his stick play is how good down low he is. Bertuzzi almost wins every battle that's along the boards, which is a positive sign in the future for Toronto.
Let's talk about Joseph Woll to end off this story. Once again, he had another incredible game in overtime, a situation he loves
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