Playoff roundup:
Patrick Marleau scores two goals as Toronto cuts Boston’s lead in their Eastern Conference series to 2-1.
Embarrassed and desperate after getting steamrolled by the Bruins through the first two games at Boston, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a point to prove at home in Game 3.
Auston Matthews responded in a big way.
Matthews scored the go-ahead goal in the second period to lead the Maple Leafs as they cut the Bruins’ lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series to 2-1. Former Sharks forward Patrick Marleau added two goals and Frederik Andersen stopped 40 shots.
Toronto was reeling in the wake of 5-1 and 7-3 losses on the road, but got back to using its speed at home.
Matthews was fiery after Saturday’s blowout, responding to a question about how Boston’s top line of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron could have 20 points in two games compared to his trio’s goose egg with an expletive: “(It) happens.”
The raw emotion that comes with being a young star came out a different way in this one after he took a feed from William Nylander down low at 5:13 of the second and fired a shot short-side on goalie Tuukka Rask to send the Air Canada Centre crowd into a frenzy.
“It just feels like an earthquake in your feet when you score, especially in playoffs,” Matthews said. “It’s definitely emotional.”
James van Riemsdyk also scored for Toronto. Devils 5, Lightning 2: With New Jersey’s first playoff appearance since 2012 starting to look like an early exit, Taylor Hall came up big — just like he has done all season.
Hall had a goal and two assists, setting up Stefan Noesen’s gamewinner with 7:05 play, and Cory Schneider made 34 saves in shoring up the goaltending and leading the host Devils over penaltyprone Tampa Bay in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference series.
The Devils scored four thirdperiod goals in cutting Tampa Bay’s series lead to 2-1. Game 4 also will be played in Newark on Wednesday.
Hall, appearing in the playoffs for the first time since being the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, downplayed his role.
“It’s not my first playoff win, it’s ours as a group,” said Hall, who had a career year in goals, assists and points. “We had some confidence coming back on home ice with how we played to finish the regular season. It’s a great feeling. We’re still down 2-1. We still have a lot of room to go, but it’s a nice start.” Avalanche 5, Predators 3: Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, including one as part of a threegoal first period and another to chase Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne, and host Colorado held off the Predators in Game 3 to cut its deficit to 2-1 in the Western Conference first-round series.
Blake Comeau and Gabriel Bourque also scored in an opening period that revved up a pompom-waving capacity crowd. The Avalanche snapped a 12-game skid against the Predators.
For a third straight game in the series, Colorado scored first. This time, the Avs were able to maintain the lead. MacKinnon and his teammates have been a different bunch at home this season. Their 28 home wins in the regular season were tied for the most in franchise history with the 200001 squad that hoisted the Stanley Cup.