Share this Story: SIMMONS: Marchand gives Maple Leafs kiss of death in opener
SIMMONS: Marchand gives Maple Leafs kiss of death in opener
Steve Simmons
Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins celebrates with Patrice Bergeron after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL playoff game at TD Garden on April 12, 2018 Photo by GETTY IMAGES
BOSTON — Brad Marchand tried to kiss Leo Komarov on the head and missed, his lips finding the side of Komarov's cheek instead.
It was one of the few times a Boston Bruins player missed in any way Thursday night in an absolute eye opening and disappointing defeat by the Maple Leafs in the opener of their playoff series with the Bruins. And it is too early to say this, but it looked as if the Bruins were kissing the Leafs goodbye.
At least Marchand was, but with his mouth, not his words.
The Leafs were beaten 5-1 in Game 1 and they were significantly outplayed, outworked, outthought, and out-disciplined by the Bruins and that may be being kind.
Marchand didn't love the way the Bruins played. That's what he said in front of the microphones and cameras in the dressing room after the game. He said it without smirking.
"We could have been better," said Marchand.
Starting to think that Brad Marchand has a crush on Leo Komarov pic.twitter.com/vtnBLIKSJt
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) April 12, 2018
In the opening game matchup between the great Patrice Bergeron line and the great Auston Matthews line, there wasn't much of a match at all. Veteran dominated young guy and it almost looked too easy for the best line in hockey — a line in need of a some kind of nickname.
Marchand made it 1-0.
Pastrnak scored to make it 3-1 from Marchand and Bergeron late in the second period, with Babcock caught on an icing and the Tomas Plekanec line was terribly overmatched, and Bergeron winning an offensive zone faceoff rather easily.
And with Pastrnak then doing a lot of the work for an easy goal for Sean Kuraly to make it 4-1.
They probably had enough opportunities for Boston to win by two or three more goals than the four by which the Bruins won.
In truth, Bergeron and Marchand made Matthews and Nylander look like kids who were not ready for prime-time playoffs.
In all, the big line had two goals, four assists, and could have done more damage. Matthews and Nylander were shut out by the Bruins and the only Toronto score, on a terrific individual play by Zach Hyman, came with Boston changing lines.
And now, a defeat is almost certain to be followed by a suspension of Nazem Kadri, who carelessly hit Tommy Wingels and was tossed for his indiscretion. Now the Leafs are faced with the challenge of winning Game 2 without a key centreman, and with the knowledge the Bruins owned the Leafs' best line along the way.
It's one thing to lose. It's another to lose a player of consequence. It's another to find a way to handle a line that plays the game with such instinct that the Boston players on the first line appear to know where each other are after every shift.
"We talk," said Bergeron, trying to explain their rather impressive success. "We talk after every shift. We're talking all the time about what we're doing and how we're doing it."
It meant 99 goals during the regular season.
It means lights out for the Leafs, at least in Game 1, with the Toronto penalty kill giving up three goals, David Krejci doing the playoff thing he has done so often, and Rick Nash not scoring at all, but drawing penalties for dangerous looks that resulted in goals.
This was a problem a year ago against Washington. It remained a problem down the stretch heading to the playoffs and a problem Thursday night.
"We got lucky tonight," said Marchand, trying to downplay Boston's success. "A lot of things went our way." He said that without breaking a smile.
He can be that kind of annoying and straight-faced, even off the ice. "We need to be a little better than we were in the next game."
Marchand looks on during the second period of Game 1 versus the Leafs (GETTY IMAGES)
That isn't something anyone wants to envision in Toronto.
It seemed whenever one of the Big Show members got the puck in the offensive zone, another got open. The line had 13 shots on goal. What impressed Bergeron was Marchand's discipline, despite his back and forth with Komarov.
Marchand can't help himself when it comes to stirring it up. "But we need him on the ice," said Bergeron.
Marchand didn't take a penalty in Game 1. Kadri had 17 minutes in penalties, all in the third period.
It was 3-1 when Kadri went to the box for the first time, not long after the Leafs took a mindless too-many-men-on -the-ice penalty.
It was one of a laundry list of items the Leafs did wrong. Establishing what they did right will be a challenge for Babcock.
After 35 minutes, the score was tied 1-1 and the shots on goal were 17-17. For the final 25 minutes, it was 4-0 Boston, shots were 23-10. It was no contest.
"They were good," said Babcock. "We weren't good enough."
It was worse than that. On one night the Leafs lost a game and their minds and got the kiss-off from Brad Marchand. There is nothing in this to feel good about.
ssimmons@postmedia.com