Brad Marchand’s heroics in the third period led the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
After Todd Bertuzzi tied the game for Toronto with 8:35 remaining, Marchand put the Bruins back in front just 28 seconds later. He took a pass from Danton Heinen and ripped a shot past goalie Ilya Samsonov’s ear.
Marchand capped the scoring with an empty-netter and also had an assist. Jake DeBrusk also scored for Boston, while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves.
The Maple Leafs were 0 for 5 on the power play, leaving them 1 for 11 in the series. Despite a strong performance from Samsonov, who made 30 saves, Toronto was unable to overcome the Bruins’ relentless offense.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series will be played on Saturday night in Toronto.
