Even when the odds seem stacked against the Bruins, they can do no wrong these days. A seriously undermanned team traveled to Toronto and took it to the Maple Leafs for much of the night, notching a 5-3 victory on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena — their sixth straight win.
Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves, and the Bruins got goals from five different players, with players from all four lines scoring to improve their record to 10-7.
After the Bruins had done a good job of protecting a 4-3 lead for most of the third period, William Nylander thought he tied the game with 4:35 left in regulation and lifted his arms in celebration. But the referee waved it off, as the replay showed Nylander’s shot hit the crossbar, then a post, and bounced out.
Then, former Leaf prospect Fraser Minten gave the Bruins their two-goal lead back with 3:02 left. Mark Kastelic stole the puck and fed Minten, who lifted it over Dennis Hildeby to make it 5-3.
The Leafs still had life when Hampus Lindholm was called for holding with 2:05 left in the third, putting the Bruins in a challenging spot. Despite this, the Bruins held on to secure the win.
—
The game was tough for the Bruins, especially with several key players out of the lineup. Charlie McAvoy was back in Boston dealing with a family matter, and Casey Mittelstadt (lower body, timetable not yet available) did not make the trip.
McAvoy’s absence meant Mason Lohrei, a scratch for the previous five games, returned to the lineup, and Alex Steeves, called up from Providence, made his Bruins debut. Both players made their presence felt early.
The first period saw both teams trade a pair of goals each. Both of Toronto’s goals came on Bruins’ penalties. First, with Henri Jokiharju in the penalty box, the Leafs took the first lead of the game when Max Domi found Nic Robertson for a redirection past Swayman at 3:12.
Just 38 seconds later, the Bruins had not only tied the game but taken the lead. On the rush, Lohrei fed Morgan Geekie on the left wing. Geekie cut to the middle, fanned on his first shot, but then beat Anthony Stolarz with a post-and-in shot just 18 seconds after Robertson’s goal.
The Bruins extended their lead on the next shift, 20 seconds later. Steeves kept the puck in at the blue line and went in on the forecheck, disrupting the Leafs’ defense. Philippe Myers tried to clear the puck in front of his net, but Viktor Arvidsson simply swiped it off Myers’ blade and into the net for Arvidsson’s fifth goal of the season.
However, the Bruins could not exit the period with a lead. Mikey Eyssimont was called for holding, giving the Leafs a power play. Although the Bruins killed off the penalty, Eyssimont was not able to get back into the play in time to prevent a Leafs’ goal. Andrew Peeke left the slot to cover Nic Roy behind the net, but Roy found a wide-open Mattias Maccelli, who beat Swayman at 13:03 to even the score.
The Bruins had a strong first period, outshooting the Leafs 13-6, but the period ended in a 2-2 tie.
—
Early in the second period, the Bruins quickly regained the lead on their first power play. Eyssimont stuffed the puck under Stolarz’s pads and celebrated, but the referees initially waved off the goal, ruling that Eyssimont had pushed Stolarz’s pads into the net. However, a league review overturned the call, confirming that the puck was in before the pad push. It was Eyssimont’s fourth goal of the season at 2:15.
The Bruins pushed the lead to two goals at 4:41. Lindholm delivered a nice cross-diagonal pass to David Pastrnak at the Toronto blue line. Pastrnak attacked Simon Benoit one-on-one, maneuvering past the defenseman and guiding the puck into the net past Stolarz. This marked Pastrnak’s eighth goal of the year and the 399th of his career.
That was the end of the night for Stolarz, who was pulled from the game by coach Craig Berube for Dennis Hildeby.
—
Late in the second period, the Leafs had a chance to get back into the game. Top penalty killer Nikita Zadorov was in the box serving a five-minute fighting major after an intense confrontation with Bobby McMann, following a brutal but clean check on Scott Laughton by Zadorov.
While still on the penalty kill, Tanner Jeannot was assessed an offensive zone slashing penalty. The Bruins once again killed off much of the penalty, but Nylander found John Tavares in the slot, and Tavares snapped the puck over Swayman’s shoulder at 16:51, bringing the Leafs within one goal at 4-3.
Meanwhile, Hildeby impressed in relief, stopping all eight shots he faced in the second period.
—
The Bruins’ resilient effort, despite a depleted lineup, helped extend their winning streak to six games. With contributions coming from all four lines, Boston showed depth and determination to get the road victory against a tough Toronto team. The Bruins will look to build on this strong performance as the season progresses.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/08/bruins-train-keeps-rolling-with-5-3-win-over-leafs/