Bruins Can't Close Out Leafs in Game 5

BOSTON - Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy saw both of last season's Stanley Cup finalists - the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators - fail to close out their respective first-round series on Friday night, despite holding 3-1 leads.
As such, he reiterated on Saturday morning the difficulty of ending a Stanley Cup Playoffs series. Despite those warnings, however, his club found out firsthand just how hard it is to secure the final nail in your opponent's coffin during the postseason.
Even after a valiant effort - highlighted by a dominating third period - to pull within a goal, the Bruins fell, 4-3, to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 on Saturday night at TD Garden. The series now shifts back to Toronto for Game 6 on Monday with Boston holding a 3-2 lead.

"Obviously we were trying to give it our best. Obviously every night that's what we try to do and we wanted it to be over tonight," said Sean Kuraly. "But that's not the way it went and we're going to have to go back to Toronto and put our best foot forward and try to play our best game in a couple of days here."

As they have all season long, the Bruins did not fold. Down by two goals entering the third period, they pummeled the Leafs, piling up a 20-5 shot advantage, while cutting the deficit to one on two tallies from the fourth line. But the markers from Kuraly and Noel Acciari were all the Bruins could manage, with several other golden opportunities turned away by Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen (42 saves).
"We ended up getting 40-plus shots - I think we had 45 shots - so we were getting the puck to the net," said Charlie McAvoy. "He made some saves there, especially in the third period, some chances that we had that could have went in. So I felt like we could have tied it up, a lot of guys in here think that, but no sense in hanging our heads on that.
"We're still up in the series and we're in a good position and we just need to refocus here, take away the good, assess the bad and be ready to go for Game 6."
The Bruins' first period was an ominous one, as they fell behind, 2-0, on tallies from Connor Brown and Andreas Johnsson just 10:12 into the contest. It was not the start Boston was looking for on home ice.
"We knew they were going to play that way," said McAvoy. "Shame on us for not coming out better - having a better first 10 minutes there. We knew they were going to come like that, their backs are against the wall. And they're going to continue to come like that so we've got to go back and make sure we're prepared to start the next game."

David Backes got the Bruins on the board with a power-play tally at 9:45 of the second to bring the Bruins to within 2-1, but Boston immediately gave one back with Tyler Bozak answering just 51 seconds later. Toronto reopened its two-goal advantage just 1:19 after that on James van Riemsdyk's power-play marker.
After van Riemsdyk's goal, Tuukka Rask (9 saves on 13 shots) was replaced by Anton Khudobin, a decision based partly on performance and partly on trying to provide the team with a spark. Khudobin stopped all eight shots he faced in 20:10.
"I didn't think he had it tonight, so we went with Anton, who has been very good for us," said Cassidy. "And then there's always that part, gets the rest of the team's attention as well. So, it's both. I don't want to measure, quantify what percentage of each, but clearly if I thought he was on, then he wouldn't have got pulled. I guess I'll put it that way."
Even with Backes' goal on the man advantage, the Bruins went 1 for 6 on the power play, including a failed 5-on-3 opportunity late in the second period.
"They did a better job pressuring us," said Cassidy. "I thought we had numerous chances to score, so I'll give, again, their goaltender credit. Five-on-three, we had some looks. He made a hell of a save on [Brad Marchand]….the power play, obviously, when you look at the numbers, 1 for 6, the immediate thing is it's not good enough.
"But I thought we generated on the majority of them offense to get goals. But again, I give their guy credit. In hindsight, we needed more from it."

Bergeron Returns

Patrice Bergeron was back in the lineup after a one-game absence with an upper-body injury, landing a team-high six shots on goal and winning 16 of his 25 faceoffs in 20:57 of ice time.
"He made it through today's game healthy, finished the game," said Cassidy. "You always want to see how they are in the morning. I don't anticipate there will be any issues going in to Game 6. Of course, that could change, but that's the way it is right now."