The Boston Bruins opened their first-round playoff series with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1. Bruins’ goalie Jeremy Swayman was the player of the game, putting up a strong 35-save performance. He also got some fortunate help from a goalpost to stop a shot from Auston Matthews that could have tied the game 1-1.
Related: Maple Leafs Fall to Bruins in Penalty-Filled Game 1
Jake DeBrusk picked up two power-play goals for the Bruins, while rookie Jonny Beecher scored on his first postseason shot. Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic also added goals for Boston. David Kampf scored the lone goal for Toronto in the loss.
Item 1: 4 Reasons for Maple Leafs’ Loss
Usually, if the Maple Leafs lose a game, I shape posts around three reasons for their loss. But there were more than three reasons last night. The game was a bit of a dud for the team.
First, the Maple Leafs’ special teams were no-shows and ineffective. The Maple Leafs failed to capitalize on power-play chances while allowing the Bruins to score on both of their power-play chances. The special teams’ inefficiency swung momentum in Boston’s favor and stopped Toronto from mounting a comeback.
Second, as was the case through most of the last part of the season, the team had too many defensive lapses and turnovers. In Saturday’s game, these haunted the Maple Leafs throughout. The Bruins capitalized on the Maple Leafs’ mistakes to generate scoring chances. They capitalized on these chances and pulled away on the scoreboard.
Third, the Bruins’ goalie was better than the Maple Leafs goalie. Swayman outplayed Ilya Samsonov all night. While Swayman made crucial saves, Samsonov struggled to keep the game within reach. He allowed too many goals from far out.
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Fourth, the Maple Leafs failed to capitalize on their scoring chances. Despite putting 36 shots on goal, the Maple Leafs never looked close to converting their high-quality scoring opportunities. Toronto could not finish.
Item 2: Ilya Samsonov’s Struggles
As noted, Samsonov struggled against the Bruins. He gave up four goals on 23 shots during the game, which turned out to be three too many. This defeat was his third straight loss, and he’s given up 15 goals in that span. These poor showings contrast sharply with his earlier success when Samsonov won five straight games.
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