5 Keys: Bruins at Maple Leafs, Game 4

BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS
7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, NESN
Boston leads best-of-7 series 2-1
TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to even the Eastern Conference First Round when they play the Boston Bruins in Game 4 at Air Canada Centre on Thursday.

The Maple Leafs, who lost 5-1 in Game 1 and 7-3 in Game 2, are 4-16 all-time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after trailing a best-of-7 series 2-0.
Here are 5 keys for Game 4:
RELATED: [Complete Bruins vs. Maple Leafs series coverage]

1. Matthews magic

Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was held off the scoresheet for the first 154:47 of the series, but scored the game-winning goal and led Toronto with five shots on goal in a 4-2 win in Game 3.
"Definitiely a relief [for him]," defenseman Jake Gardiner said. "He's a guy who wants to produce and expects to produce. They did a good job against him [in the first two games], it was good to see him score and hopefully he can keep that going. Just a note on that goal, I don't think many guys would be able to release it like he did. It shows the amount of skill that he has."

2. Bounce back for Bergeron and Co.

After combining for 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in Game 1 and 2, the Bruins top line of center Patrice Bergeron, left wing Brad Marchand and right wing David Pastrnak, was held without a point in Game 3 and was a combined minus-7.
"The first couple of games we got some bounces to go our way," Marchand said. "In Game 3 they didn't. That's hockey, it's not going to go your way every night. Hopefully we get a few more next game but give them credit, their goalie [Frederik Andersen] made some big saves at the right time."

3. Winning the matchup battle

With the last change on home ice, Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock was able to get his desired matchup against Bergeron's line in Game 3 more often than in Games 1 and 2, with center Tomas Plekanec between left wing Patrick Marleau and right wing Mitchell Marner.
Plekanec, who had spent most of his time on the fourth line since being acquired by the Maple Leafs in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 25, took Nazem Kadri's spot on that line. Kadri is eligible to return in Game 5 from a three-game suspension by the NHL Department of Player Safety for boarding Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in Game 1.
Marleau had two goals, Marner had two assists and Plekanec had one assist in 17:58, 3:53 more than his previous single-game high in ice time with the Maple Leafs, when he played 14:05 against the Buffalo Sabres on April 2.

4. Maple Leafs must perfect penalty kill

The Bruins' power play is 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) through the first three games. They did not score on their lone power play in Game 3, though Pastrnak hit the goal post with Andersen out of position.
"It's like anything in life, when things go bad for you, sometimes you get on your heels instead of being on your toes and going after it," Babcock said. "I didn't think [the penalty kill] was very good [in Game 3], but it didn't go in the net so we can build off it for sure that way."

5. Swing game

With the result of Game 4 leading to either tying the series 2-2 or going down 3-1, the Maple Leafs recognize the urgency they must show. The Bruins are quite aware of that too.
"It's a big game, 2-2 or 3-1 is a big difference, so they're going to be ready to go tonight, we know that," Marchand said. "We're going to expect their best and hopefully we're prepared for that."

Bruins projected lineup

Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk -- David Krejci -- Rick Nash
Danton Heinen -- Riley Nash -- David Backes
Tim Schaller -- Sean Kuraly -- Noel Acciari
Zdeno Chara -- Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug -- Kevan Miller
Matt Grzelcyk -- Adam McQuaid
Tuukka Rask
Anton Khudobin
Scratched: Tommy Wingels, Ryan Donato, Brian Gionta, Nick Holden
Injured: Anders Bjork (shoulder), Brandon Carlo (ankle)

Maple Leafs projected lineup

Zach Hyman -- Auston Matthews -- William Nylander
Patrick Marleau -- Tomas Plekanec -- Mitchell Marner
James van Riemsdyk -- Tyler Bozak -- Connor Brown
Andreas Johnsson -- Dominic Moore -- Kasperi Kapanen
Morgan Rielly -- Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner -- Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott -- Roman Polak
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
Scratched: Matt Martin, Josh Leivo, Connor Carrick
Injured: Leo Komarov (lower body)
Suspended:Nazem Kadri

Status Report

Grzelcyk will be a game-time decision but is expected to play after missing Game 3 because of a lower-body injury. … Komarov participated in an optional morning skate but will miss his third straight game.