Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) – Phil Kessel netted a pair of goals and
Jonathan Bernier stopped 25 shots as the Toronto Maple Leafs ripped apart the
Boston Bruins, 6-1, at Air Canada Centre.
James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak both registered a score and two assists for
the Maple Leafs, who have taken three in a row and posted their most decisive
victory of the season.
Peter Holland and Morgan Rielly added markers as Toronto pumped home a season-
high three power-play goals.
“I think we really felt like we owed Boston one,” Holland said of the Bruins’
4-1 win on Oct. 25. “Last time they were in here, we felt a little embarrassed
about our effort.”
Dennis Seidenberg provided the lone offense for the Bruins, whose five-game
win streak was put to rest in their largest margin of defeat thus far.
Tuukka Rask took the loss after allowing four goals on 16 shots in 23-plus
minutes. Niklas Svedberg finished up making 15 saves on 17 shots.
“It’s the only thing we did as a team — we all played poorly,” seethed Bruins
forward Chris Kelly. “We didn’t compete. We didn’t work. We didn’t make plays.
We didn’t defend. That’s why it was 6-1.”
Kessel whipped a shot over Rask’s glove at the 18-second mark of the second
period, then Rielly potted a Holland rebound from the right side just 94
seconds after the second-period puck drop to open up a three-goal lead.
Boston’s Seth Griffith was called for tripping at 2:20 and Bozak rushed the
net to redirect a van Riemsdyk offering for a 4-0 Toronto edge with 3:32
elapsed.
Svedberg entered the game, but Bozek tipped home another shot on the power
play, this one a chop of a Jake Gardiner point blast which touched van
Riemsdyk’s stick to make it a five-goal spread just shy of the midway point of
regulation.
Boston had a potential power-play goal from Reilly Smith wiped out a short
while later when Carl Soderberg made enough contact with Bernier to impede
his ability to stop the puck. However, Seidenberg slipped a shot home through
a Simon Gagne screen with 5:45 left.
Holland’s backhander from atop the crease on the advantage made it 6-1 for the
hosts at 7:21 of the third.
“We knew what was at stake,” said van Riemsdyk. “But it’s a long year. Can’t
get too high, can’t get too low.”
After nearly clicking on a chance during the game’s opening shift, Kessel
provided the Leafs the first goal of the game on a wrister off the rush from
the right circle at 6:46.
Game Notes
Toronto posted its largest margin of victory against Boston since an 8-2
drubbing on the road on March 6, 2008 … Kessel notched his second multi-goal
effort of the season … Maple Leafs defenseman Stephane Robidas played in his
900th NHL game … Toronto forward Daniel Winnik returned to action after
missing a week since hitting the back of his head on the ice in a collision
with Colorado’s Jan Hejda.
