Bruins beat Maple Leafs 4-2 to take 2-1 lead in the series

Brad Marchand’s goal broke a tie midway through the third period, pushing the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night and giving them a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

After Todd Bertuzzi equalized for Toronto with 8:35 left in the game, Marchand wasted no time in restoring the Bruins’ lead just 28 seconds later. He received a pass from Danton Heinen and fired a shot past goalie Ilya Samsonov’s ear. Marchand later sealed the win with an empty-net goal and also contributed an assist.

Jake DeBrusk and Trent Frederic also found the back of the net for Boston, while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves. Swayman, who made 35 saves in Boston’s 5-1 win in Game 1, retained his spot in goal after being replaced by Linus Ullmark in Toronto’s 3-2 victory in Game 2.

At the same time Noah Hanifin’s unassisted goal late in the second period propelled Vegas to a victory over the top-seeded Dallas, giving them a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.

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Hanifin, one of the three trade-deadline acquisitions for the Knights, who entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, made a significant impact with his goal.

Jonathan Marchessault, who scored his second goal of the series, also set a franchise record with his 36th postseason goal while appearing in all 90 of Vegas’ playoff games.

Jack Eichel contributed to Marchessault’s goal with an assist and added an empty-netter to seal the win. Logan Thompson made 20 saves in his second career playoff start.