Oct 23, 2008 10:06 pm US/Eastern
Bruins Fall 4-2 To Hapless Leafs
BOSTON (AP) ―
Anton Stralman scored with 9:14 left to break a third-period tie, and Vesa Toskala stopped 26 shots as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 4-2 on Thursday night and snapped a five-game losing streak.
Mike Van Ryn and Nik Antropov also scored for Toronto, which had lost twice in regulation and three times in shootouts since opening the season with a victory over the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.
Patrice Bergeron scored his first goal in over a year after missing all but 10 games last season with a severe concussion and broken nose.
Tim Thomas made 33 saves for the Bruins.
The Leafs hit the post twice against an empty net in the last minute before Niklas Hagman scored from beyond the blue line to make it 4-2.
Bergeron last scored on Oct. 13, 2007, five games before he was lost for the season after being knocked unconscious when Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Randy Jones hit him from behind and smashed his face into the glass. Bergeron was on the verge of returning when the Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by Montreal.
Bergeron's goal gave Boston a 1-0 lead with 4:28 left in the first period. Wheeler made it 2-0 when he took a pass at the Bruins' blue line and brought it down the right side, where he backhanded it past Toskala and off a defenseman's stick into the net.
Van Ryn was checked through the plexiglass 20 seconds into the second period by Milan Lucic, sending glass flying into the crowd and raining down on the Leafs defenseman's neck. About six minutes later, he scored Toronto's first goal, and Antropov tied it two minutes later.
Notes: The Bruins have scored first five times in seven games. ... The Bruins did not get a shot on goal until 9:44 into the first period. The Leafs did not allow a shot in their last game, against Anaheim, for the final 7:46 of the second period and all of the third. In all, they went 37:20 in regulation without allowing a shot. (The Ducks got three shots in overtime). ... Phil Kessel and Marc Savard had scored 11 of the Bruins 18 goals coming into the game. ... P.J. Axelsson, who missed three games with muscle spasms, returned.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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