In Boston, the Bruins took a 4-0 lead into the third period on Saturday night, and defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-1, in Game 1 of their first round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 
“I really liked our team discipline,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “I liked our execution. I liked the emotion we played with. And I thought the physicality of our group was very evident.”
Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves in the win.
“I think we stuck to the game plan really well,” Swayman said. “It starts with our coaching staff giving us one to be effective against this team. They’re obviously a great team and they forecheck well, and I think that our game plan was excellent.”
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the opening stanza on a marker form John Beecher,at 2:26, scoring off an odd man rush.
“I knew the energy was going to be there in the building,” Beecher said. “We came up for the national anthem and [I] honestly got chills just sitting on the bench and hearing the crowd and how fired up everybody was to be there.”
In the middle frame, the Bruins scored three times to wrest control of the game from the Maple Leafs.
Brando Carlo pushed the advantage to 2-0 at 5:47 of the second, scoring off a shot form down low.
Jake DeBrusk the first of a double in the period when stretched the lead to 3-0 at 15:02, scoring off a power play with a wrister form the right circle.
“I just wanted to play a fast, hard forechecking style,” DeBrusk said. “I didn’t put numbers or anything on it. Obviously, I think the biggest thing that we talk about, even in the room, is we stay in the moment, so I didn’t actually set any goals. I just wanted to help the team any way I can.”
DeBrusk collected his double off another power play at 17:34, scoring off a pass from Bard Marchand.
Game 2 is set for Monday night in Boston.
“I thought it started out a pretty good game,” the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews said. “And then just little mistakes, and they’re a very patient team. And obviously [they] executed on the mistakes that we made, so it’s a game of inches. We get a taste of what the series is all about here in this game.”
David Kampf was the lone striker for the Maple Leafs, his third period goal cut the deficit to 4-1. He scored at 1:39 of the third period, hitting off a shot from the slot.
Trent Frederic hit an empty net at 17:52 for the 5-1 final count on the scoreboard..
Ilya Samsonov made 19 saves in the loss.
“It’s obviously a very skilled team over there,” Toronto’s Mitch Marner said. “When you give them a lot of power plays, they’re going to start feeling really good about their game.”
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