The Boston Bruins continued their dominance over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs by securing a 3-1 victory in Game 4, putting the Leafs on the brink of first-round elimination. This extends the Bruins’ trend of knocking out Toronto from the postseason, having previously done so in 2018 and 2019.
Brad Marchand emerged as a key player for the Bruins, scoring his 56th playoff goal, surpassing Cam Neely to become the all-time Bruins leader in playoff scoring. His performance, alongside goals from David Pastrnak and James van Riemsdyk, propelled Boston to victory.
Jeremy Swayman stood out in the Bruins’ net, turning away 24 of 25 shots faced, maintaining his stellar performance in the postseason with a 3-0 record, a 1.33 Goals Against Average, and a .956 Save Percentage.
Special teams played a crucial role in the Bruins’ success, with Marchand’s goal marking the sixth power-play goal for Boston in the series. The Bruins’ penalty kill also excelled, keeping Toronto at bay during crucial moments in the game.
Toronto’s frustration was evident as they fell behind by three goals in the second period, with star players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander visibly expressing their disappointment on the ice.
Despite a goaltender change for Toronto and a goal by Marner in the third period, the Leafs struggled to mount a comeback against the Bruins’ solid defense, ultimately falling short.
With the series now at a 3-1 advantage for Boston, the Bruins are poised to advance to the second round for the first time since 2021, bouncing back from their upset in the 2023 first round after a strong regular season.
Toronto faces a must-win situation in Game 5 in Boston to keep their playoff hopes alive, as they aim to avoid another early postseason exit in the Matthews era, having only advanced past the first round once in 2023.
