Bruins top Leafs in shootout

Summary — Familiar foes faced off at on Thursday evening as the Maple Leafs gave the Bruins all they could handle before falling in a shootout 3-2 in front of a sold out crowd at TD Garden. Miroslav Satan scored the game-winning goal in the shootout. Tim Thomas got the start for Boston for the first time since Groundhogs Day (Feb. 2) and grabbed a win with 24 saves. Jean-Sebastian Giguere was the loss for Toronto with 29 saves. The Bruins announced earlier on Thursday that goaltender Tuukka Rask would sit with a lower body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

In his first game back since taking a puck to his temple against Vancouver on Feb. 6 Johnny Boychuk scored to brake a 1-1 tie at 15:24 in the second period with a blast from right wing that beat Giguere over his shoulder far-side. The goal was Boychuk’s third of the season and his career and the Bruins entered the third period with a goal advantage.

Once again Boston could not hold a third period lead as Tyler Bozak crashed the net in front of Thomas and rammed home a centering pass by Nikolai Kulemin at 3:58 in the third period.

The Bruins lit the lamp first as Satan scored his second goal in three games (though almost three weeks apart because of the Olympic break)when Shawn Thornton found him streaking down the center for an unchallenged break. Satan pulled up and hit a slap shot from the top of the left circle that beat Giguere through the five hole at 9:36 in the first period.

Then the teams got nasty. Milan Lucic dropped the gloves with notorious fighter Colton Orr and fought him to a standstill with both players taking significant blows. In the ensuing face off, Shawn Thornton went at it with Wayne Primeau as exactly one second ticked away on the game clock. Thornton handled Primeau. It was third time this season that Lucic and Thorton fought in the same game.

Boston could not hold Toronto off the board as Viktor Stalberg beat Thomas short side to tie the game at one at 15:27 in the first period in a 4-on-4 situation as Marco Sturm and Dion Phaneuf were in the penalty box.

Three Stars

Tim Thomas – The Bruins goaltender was solid in holding the Leafs down including multiple breakaway chances and stoned them in the shootout for the victory.

Miroslav Satan — Satan scored the first and last goal of the game to propel the Bruins to the win.

Tyler Bozak — The young Leafs forward picked up the fourth goal of his career that tied the game at two in the third period.

Turning Point — Shortly after the Leafs killed off a penalty in the third period Kulemin found the puck on the baseline after a scramble and centered it front of Thomas, who could not handle it cleanly in the crease. Bozak crashed the net and jarred the puck loose to tie the game and eventually send it to the shootout.

Key Play — With the third round of the shootout tied at zero, Satan skated in on Giguere, did a stick flip fake and went backhand to put the puck in the net. Thomas stuffed Bozak in the final shot to seal the victory.