The Bruins completed a sixgame sweep of the season series behind two goals from Benoit Pouliot, a goal and three assists from Brian Rolston and the fifth shutout of the season for Tim Thomas. Their superiority was so complete that after two periods they had as many goals — seven— as the Maple Leafs had shots.
And Boston outscored Toronto 36-10 this season.
“Sometimes you have a bit of luck on your side and you match up well against a team,” Bruins forward Chris Kelly said. “By no means was the score indicative of the kind of games they were.”
It was on Monday.
Boston led 4-0 just 13 minutes into the game and Thomas had to make only 13 saves, the fewest shots allowed by the Bruins since they gave up 13 to Pittsburgh on April 13, 2002. He got his second shutout of the Maple Leafs this season. He also was in net for a 7-0 rout, at Toronto on Nov. 5. The only one of the six games that the Bruins won by fewer than three goals was a 5-4 victory on March 6 in Toronto.
“I have never really seen anything like that (domination),” Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer said. “I’m not sure why one team has an advantage.”
The Maple Leafs fell into a huge hole early, dropping behind 4-0 when Brad Marchand scored his 24th goal of the season just 12:42 into the game in a power play. That’s when Reimer, who had stopped only five of nine shots, was replaced by Jonas Gustavsson.
He held Boston scoreless through the rest of the first period then gave up three goals in the second to Pouliot, his 12th of the season, Zdeno Chara and Rolston and one in the third to Tyler Seguin. Kelly, Gregory Campbell and Pouliot had scored Boston’s first three goals. The third line of Kelly, Pouliot and Rolston accounted for four goals.
“We deserved a game like that because we went through a stretch there ( when) it seemed everything went wrong,” Rolston said after Boston’s second win following a four- game losing streak. “We have a lot of depth.”
Reimer’s performance was a drastic decline from Toronto’s previous two games, both wins, in which he stopped 63 of 65 shots.
“Goaltending falls right in line with the rest of our team,” Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. “ They didn’t play to the level that was required. … Your goaltender has to give you a chance, but your team has to help your goaltender and give him a chance.”
NOTES: Claude Julien coached his 400th game for the Bruins, tying Don Cherry for third most in club history. … Boston scored at least seven goals for the fourth time this season and has posted a shutout in each of them. … Toronto is 3-6 since Carlyle became coach on March 2.
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