It was a bit of trickery for Bruce Cassidy, an unusual tactic for a normally straightforward and honest-to-a-fault coach. It was also an acknowledgement.
The Bruins' top line hadn't been good enough in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak hadn't been their usual dominant selves, so something needed to be changed. The coach made the call Wednesday afternoon, once he knew that Marcus Johansson, who had missed the past two games with an illness, was healthy enough to play.
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And it couldn't have worked out better as the Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4, tying the best-of-7 series 2-2 with Game 5 at Boston on Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS, NESN).
"I think big game, overall, for the whole team," Pastrnak said. "Not easy to win in this building. [Heck] of a win for us."
Though there were more than a few tense minutes in the third period, when Boston gave up two late goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs pulled within one, the best of the Bruins came up big in Game 4: They got two goals from Pastrnak, one from Marchand and a combined six points from the three top forwards, matching what they had scored in the previous three games combined.
"I think it sparked everybody," said Pastrnak, who was on a line with Jake DeBrusk and center David Krejci. "It gave them a little bit different look. It was fun."
And it happened quickly.
The Bruins rushed out to a 2-0 lead with goals by Charlie McAvoy, on the power play at 3:03 of the first period, and Marchand, at 6:38 on a tap-in off a pass from McAvoy to the top of the crease. And they could have had another, had Frederik Andersen not come up with an impressive glove save off a wrist shot by Charlie Coyle at 7:04.