Phil Myers made his regular season debut tonight and he subbed in for Conor Timmins. Pontus Holmberg was the forward in the press box for this game.

First Period

Stolarz was good early and had to make some tough saves.

Ryan Reaves took an interference call away from the play to open the special teams action.

Leafs PK was easily up to the task.

Reaves drew a penalty on Morgan Geekie to even his penalty differential on the game.

Morgan Rielly was with the top unit not that that stopped others from passing directly to Bruins. The second unit managed to draw another penalty, which is likely the most useful thing anyone has done with the man advantage in this game.

The five-on-three was the most exciting thing the Leafs have done in some number of days.

So was that a good period? Not really. If you like that Expected Goals model most people use where a Shot on Goal counts as one and everything else is zero, then the Bruins ran away with it.

If you usually use something slightly more meaningful, you take a different view. Terrible start for the Leafs in the first half though, no matter how you weight the shots.

Score is zeros all around.

Second Period

Auston Matthews set up Matt Knies beautifully.

Jake McCabe got called on a very similar interference call to Reaves.

David Pastrnak got an easy goal on the power play, and that's the Bruins power play everyone should have been expecting. They have a plan they all understand.

Simon Benoit tried to do two things at once and didn't take away a passing or shooting lane.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Charlie Coyle got sent off together for unsportsmanlike conduct after a long running battle they narrated directly to the ref.

Morgan Rielly – in his 800th game – didn't just score, he set up this entire play. Mitch Marner was also excellent.

William Nylander got Pastrnak right up under the visor, and one of the refs had something in his eye after contact with Pastrnak. They issued a double minor to allow themselves to do a review. Willy was guilty, no doubt and he sat for four minutes.

Boston got a very brief five-on-three, and then it's just an ordinary power play which Toronto kills.

After the successful kill it all went to hell and the Bruins get two really quick. Several people are at fault and also Nylander just fell.

Boston took a penalty at the end of the period, so that almost entirely carries over.

That was an eventful period, not all the events were fun, though. I feel bad for Anthony Stolarz who has been great for the Leafs. He got shelled hard there and gave up two.

Things are close to even, just like the score of 3-2 Bruins. Notable here is the Bruins main weakness on full display. The wrong people are getting the good shots. On the Leafs, it's good to see some people not on the top line getting good chances for a change. But note the very conspicuous absence of anyone on the second line.

Maybe they're actually climbing out of the hole they've been in a little at a time and are playing better in some ways. Lots and lots of turnovers though.

Third Period

Leafs opened with a very bad power play struggling, always struggling to do anything that looks like a good idea.

Nick Robertson takes one of those 'trying to get the puck' tripping calls on Nikita Zadorov.

To be honest, I like the PK the best in the last few games. Maybe the "change every system completely all at once" wasn't the very best plan, but boy did everyone buy in hard on this PK. Offer not valid for Simon Benoit.

Leafs pressed hard and the Bruins got a rush against eventually. Two things were clear, Pacioretty is lagging in skating speed a little less, and Stolarz is excellent.

John Tavares got the two worst forwards on the team tonight for a late try for a goal when he was put with Nylander and Domi.

Stolarz went off, and one would want the Leafs play six-on-five with their old system and ignore the bench advice on the timeout.

Great chance didn't go in for Matthews.

The next one did (in between, Matthews broke up a play that could have led to an ENG against.)

TIE GAME

The ending was exciting but the third was a dull as dishwater period for both teams. A lot of struggle for the puck, not a lot of shooting.

Overtime

For the new people, just FYI, three-on-three overtime is a stunt I don't take seriously.

Matthews gives the puck away, and Stolarz almost got it.

Bruins win. 4-3 the final score.

No William Nylander in that OT. Make of that what you will. Missed that he was out briefly with Domi.

Next game is Monday in Winnipeg in the most sensible two-game road trip ever.

Game Coverage