BOSTON—“S-- happens, I guess,” said Auston Matthews, “it’s hockey.” The Toronto Maple Leafs had just been destroyed 7-3 by the Boston Bruins, and trail 2-0 in this best-of-seven series, and Boston’s top line has 20 points in two games, and every game is a Bruins amusement park, howling and fun. Matthews had been asked if he ever imagined getting outscored 20-0 by another team’s top line. He wasn’t thrilled.But there’s not much to be thrilled about, and through two games it feels like there are no good answers. The Leafs were blown out of the building in Game 1, but started Game 2 with more jump, with the puck. The Matthews line actually pinned the trip of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak in their zone for a while. It was going fine.Then s-- happened. Nikita Zaitsev was on the ice for four goals in the first, and Ron Hainsey was on for three, before committing the unforced giveaway that led to the fifth goal. The penalty kill got strafed again. The goaltending didn’t help, and Frederik Andersen was pulled after the third goal on five shots. Pastrnak had three goals and six points, and was on the ice for all seven Boston goals; Marchand had four assists, and was on the ice for all seven; Bergeron had four assists, but was only on the ice for six.“Obviously, they’re dominating us,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “I thought we got off to a pretty good start, and the puck still went in the net. Give them credit, they’re playing real well, that line, they’ve been good on the power play, good at 5-on-5, everything they throw at the net’s going in.”Asked if he had ever seen a line score 20 points in two games, defenceman Morgan Rielly said, “I just did, yeah.”“We were outplayed for two games,” Hainsey said. “If you add it up, it’s 12-4 over six periods. We deserved every bit of criticism far and wide. Goo ...
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