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The Boston Bruins are on the road for Game 3 of the NHL Playoffs First Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, with their best-of-seven series tied 1-1.
The Boston Bruins' grip over the Maple Leafs was snapped on Monday night in a 3-2 loss to tie the series up at a game apiece. The Bruins held leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but the Leafs levelled things up in the second period and won the game on a counter-attacking goal from Auston Matthews to claim the victory.
The series still remains well poised, with five games left to determine who moves on, starting with Game 3 on Wednesday.
Here, GOAL brings you all the information you need to know about this NHL matchup, including how to watch, team news, key results and head-to-head results.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Date & Puck-Drop time
| Date | Wednesday, April 24, 2024 |
| Time | 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT |
| Arena | Scotiabank Arena |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
The Boston Bruins will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in the highly-anticipated NHL matchup on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 7:00 pm ET/ 4:00 pm PT at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario.
How to watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins NHL Game on TV & stream live online
The Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN.
If you don't have cable TV, the best way to watch almost every NHL playoff game online is with DirecTV Stream Choice. Best of all, DirecTV Stream packages all start with a five-day free trial. You need to pay for DirecTV Stream's Ultimate plan ($119.99 per month) to get all the channels you need to watch games on national channels: ABC, ESPN, NHL Network, TBS, and TNT.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins Team News & Key Performers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs star winger William Nylander could be back in the lineup for Game 3 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins. Nylander, who dressed in all 82 games during the regular season, has yet to suit up in the First Round series due to an undisclosed injury. Defensemen Jake Muzzin (back) and John Klingberg (hip) feature on the injury report, as do goaltender Matt Murray (hip) and center Bobby McMann (lower body).
With their hard-pressed situation on Monday night, the Maple Leafs turned to their MVP, Auston Matthews, and he finally came alive in the playoffs. Matthews contributed to all three of Toronto's goals with two assists and the game-winner late in the third period to lead the Leafs to a 3-2 win and snap their eight-game winless run against the Bruins. Max Domi had a goal and an assist, while goaltender Ilya Samsonov made 27 of 29 saves.
Boston Bruins
Boston have five injured players on their report. Milan Lucic has an ankle issue and Matthew Poitras is out for the year with a shoulder problem. Justin Brazeau and Derek Forbort are out indefinitely.
The Bruins couldn't capitalize on home-ice advantage last time out, falling to the Maple Leafs by a score of 3-2. Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins, but couldn't get it done when they had several chances down the stretch.
They will rely on David Pastrnak as the top option on offense, with 110 points this season. He has put up 47 goals and 63 assists in 82 games. Brad Marchand is also a top contributor for the visitors, with 67 total points this season. He has netted 29 goals and provided 38 assists in 82 games.
They turned to Linus Ullmark in between the sticks despite a great game from Jeremy Swayman in game one. Ullmark was solid, turning away 27 of 30 shots in a losing effort. The Bruins will likely turn to Swayman in game three if head coach Jim Montgomery's postgame comments are anything to go by.
Head-to-Head Record
The all-time record for teams advancing when a series is tied 1-1 is 354-354, indicating that the series may still go either way. The Bruins, in particular, are 27-21 (.563) in 1-1 ties, including 20-11 at home. They are 36-25 (.590) in Game 3.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 04/23/24 | Boston Bruins 2-3 Maple Leafs | NHL |
| 04/21/24 | Boston Bruins 5-1 Maple Leafs | NHL |
| 03/08/24 | Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 Boston Bruins | NHL |
| 03/05/24 | Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 Boston Bruins | NHL |
| 12/03/23 | Toronto Maple Leafs 3-3 Boston Bruins (AET) | NHL |