Bruins hoping for two points this time vs. Leafs (Nov 11, 2017)
TORONTO -- The Boston Bruins feel that they should have come away with a win Friday night at the Air Canada Centre after losing 3-2 in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
They have a chance for quick redemption. The teams play again Saturday night in Boston.
The Bruins gave up the tying goal with one minute left in regulation on Friday and the Maple Leafs won on Patrick Marleau's tip-in goal at?1:07?of overtime.
The Bruins had to be content with one point for the overtime loss, instead of two that would have come with a win.
"They're a good team, they play a really fast game, high tempo," Bruins left winger Brad Marchand said. "We played good, a few mistakes end up costing us the game. We have to continue to tighten up. We're playing well, we're right there, so that's a plus. But we need to win games. We can't be giving up points like this."
The Maple Leafs have won three games in a row, the past two without star center Auston Matthews, who is out with an upper body injury and will not make the trip to Boston.
The battered Bruins are beginning to welcome back some injured players. Marchand and Noel Acciari returned for the game Friday. Marchand had an assist.
"I really thought Boston did a really nice job, I didn't think there was any room," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "There weren't lots of plays. It was probably boring, actually, for the crowd, but it was good for me, I liked it that way."
The Bruins (6-5-4), who have lost two games in a row, led Toronto twice on Friday. Patrice Bergeron gave them the lead in the second period and David Pastrnak scored a power-play goal in the third.
Each time, James van Riemsdyk tied the game for Toronto.
The second goal rankled the Bruins, coming on a deflection with Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen lifted for an extra attacker.
"The tying goal three guys had the puck that we trust to get the job and we didn't get it out," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We were soft on it. I can't sugar coat it, that's what happened. If you have to ice it, that's fine. We're not against that in those situations, it's not our first choice, obviously. But we didn't, then we didn't get it out, they made a play. They had one more (skater) than us and they found him."
Anton Khudobin made 30 saves in the Bruins goal and Tuukka Rask is expected to get the start in Boston. Curtis McElhinney will get the start for Toronto in place of Andersen, who made 33 saves on Friday.
"We had a great game over here, a good start finally and got the first goal," Pastrnak said. "It's unfortunate that we only got one point. I think, we deserved two. We have a new game tomorrow and we have to start like we did today."
Toronto center Mitch Marner, who had two assists on Friday, said his team was not discouraged when Boston took the lead in the third period.
"That's the good thing about our team, I don't think we get down when the other team scores," Marner said. "We keep pushing through and that's the thing we've got to keep doing and make sure we keep battling for it. After that goal happened, Freddie (Andersen) was standing tall back there and didn't let anything else past him, obviously. It's a big win for us, we've got to make sure we take it into tomorrow."
Toronto's three-game winning streak followed a 1-3-0 road trip that completed a 2-6-0 stretch.
"I think the whole time we always believed in ourselves in here, that's the most important thing," Marner said. "We believe in one another and obviously that road trip didn't go the way we wanted to, but we got back on track and we've just got to make sure we keep playing the same way we have been. If we do that, we should be successful."
