Chris Bourque

Chris Bourque‘s first goal as a Bruin was both the game-winner and the only goal allowed in a questionably officiated contest Saturday, but the Bruins suffered yet another injury in their 1-0 victory over the Maple Leafs Saturday at Air Canada Centre.

Bourque sped to the net to finish off a strong play from Chris Kelly‘s line (see below), giving the Bruins the only offense they would need in Tuukka Rask‘s first shutout of the season.

It wasn’t all good news for the B’s, as Brad Marchand didn’t play the rest of the way after crashing into the boards following contact with Leafs goalie James Reimer midway through the second period (he appeared to injure his shoulder on the play). The Bruins were already dinged up entering the game, as both Shawn Thornton (concussion) and Daniel Paille (upper-body injury) missed Saturday’s contest.

The Bruins next play Wednesday in Montreal against the Canadiens.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

• It seems the B’s defensemen realized they owed Rask one after Thursday’s debacle, and they came through in allowing just 21 shots on goal. That made Rask’s night easier as he improved to 7-1-0 against the Maple Leafs, who traded him to B’s for Andrew Raycroft in 2007.

• Not only did Bourque’s goal finally get him on the scoresheet for the season, it marked the second straight game in which Kelly’s line scored a goal after going scoreless in the fist six games of the season.

Bourque’s goal was the product of terrific net-drive from the trio of Kelly, Rich Peverley and Bourque, as Kelly sent a pass from center ice to Peverley at the blue line before racing past a Toronto defender. Peverley sent a pass down low to Kelly to the right of the goal, with Kelly backhanding it in front to Bourque, who was going full speed to push the puck into the net before eventually crashing into the post.

• Playing in his second straight game and first since the B’s lost Thornton to a concussion, Lane MacDermid showed that he’s plenty willing to take on Thornton’s workload. The 23-year-old fought Mark Fraser twice in the game, dropping the gloves in each of the first two periods.

• The Bruins caught a break in the first period when a shot from the point went past both Adam McQuaid and Rask was ruled no goal because Nazem Kadri made contact with the B’s goaltender. Replays showed that Kadri was outside of the crease and was shoved into Rask by Kelly, so the Leafs should have gotten on the board on the play.

WHAT WENT WRONG

• Losing Marchand would be big for the B’s, as he leads the team with five goals this season. With Marchand out, Gregory Campbell and Bourque filled in on the second line.

• The no-goal call that cost the Leafs in the first period wasn’t the only botched call in the game. A Patrice Bergeron shot that went off Tyler Seguin‘s skate and past Reimer was disallowed because Marchand had made contact with the goal earlier in the play. The contact seemed to come far enough before the goal to make the call suspect, but in the end each side lost a goal to shaky calls.

• With that goal disallowed, Seguin still has yet to score on a goaltender outside of shootouts this season. Seguin’s empty-netter last Monday against the Hurricanes remains his only goal this season.

Saturday’s game must have added to the frustration, as goals against the Maple Leafs were a sure thing for him a season ago, when he tallied eight against Toronto in six meetings last season.

• Those who (incorrectly) were upset with the Bruins for not “responding” to Thursday’s fight between Thornton and Buffalo’s John Scott were reminded of when it’s appropriate to respond. Zdeno Chara came to the defense of Johnny Boychuk after he was crushed into the boards by Leo Komarov. Unfortunately for the B’s, Chara got a roughing penalty out of it, as both players went off.