After struggling against Toronto, Boston’s Brad Marchand finally broke through against New York. (Charles Krupa/AP)

By Sarah Kwak

Less than five minutes remained in the first overtime of Game 1 and the Bruins were outplaying and completely outshooting the Rangers with almost goal after almost goal. It was clear the Bruins were due for an actual goal any second. And for the last two weeks, their Little Ball of Hate has been due, too.

Brad Marchand, the team’s leading scorer in the regular season, was kept muzzled through the first round, picking up only three assists in the seven-game series against the Maple Leafs. But in the closing minutes of overtime against the Rangers, with the score knotted at 2-2, Marchand tipped in a beautiful feed from Patrice Bergeron to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals for Boston. The pesky yet diminutive winger did it by powering through the even more diminutive Mats Zuccarello (5-foot-7, 174 pounds), who is probably the only NHLer Marchand (5-9, 183 pounds) could realistically muscle off.

In the fight between these two big, burly and tough hockey teams, the battle between two flyweights decided it. Figures.

Here are some more observations from the Bruins’ 3-2 Game 1 win:

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A revived Milan Lucic will present a big, rugged challenge for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers. (Getty Images)

By Sarah Kwak

Snapshot

The Bruins are riding into the second round still high from the thrilling comeback they mounted in Game 7 of their first-round series against the Maple Leafs. The Rangers, meanwhile, silenced one of the league’s hottest offenses as they rode their Vezina Trophy-nominated goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, who posted Game 6 and 7 shutouts against the Capitals. On paper, these two teams do have a lot in common. They’re physical clubs that like to play all 200 feet; they have plenty of scoring talent, however inconsistent it can be, and superb goaltending. This should be a physical series with the potential for a goalie duel unless the offenses find ways to come to life.

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Patrice Bergeron (left) and Boston pulled off a comeback for the ages against Toronto. (Brian Babineau/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

You might see the agony on James Reimer’s face as you watch him on TV or look at him in pictures, but you can’t begin to imagine what was going through his mind. Or Phil Kessel’s. Or Cody Franson’s.

They had it. The Maple Leafs had it! Game 7, on the road, in Boston. A 4-1 lead over an exhausted, depleted Bruins squad midway through the third. Control, absolute control. It was just a matter of running out the clock before Toronto booked a date in the second round with the New York Rangers. With home ice. Home ice!

And then, just like that, everything changed.

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Brad Marchand, Boston’s regular-season scoring leader, has produced just two assists against Toronto. (Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

Five quick thoughts on the players and situations that could have an impact on tonight’s must-watch Game 7 between the Bruins and Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET on CNBC), one of two winner-takes-all matchups on tap tonight:

1. Reimer’s goaltending: Has any goaltender stepped up his game in the playoffs to the same degree as Toronto’s James Reimer? After a rough start in Game 1, his save percentage (.932) has climbed higher than what he posted during the regular season (.924), all while facing 237 shots through six games, an average of 39.5 per game. He’s stopped 72 of the last 74 he’s faced, holding the Bruins to a single goal in each of the past two games as the Leafs staved off elimination. Reimer is playing his best hockey of the season at the most critical juncture. If he maintains this level, the Leafs win Game 7.

MUIR: Five keys for Rangers vs. Capitals

2. Gardiner’s surprising play: The must-watch player tonight? Toronto’s Jake Gardiner. Two weeks ago, he wasn’t regarded as one of Toronto’s top-six blueline options, but a finger injury suffered by Mike Kostka in Game 1 opened the door. After a nervous debut in Game 2, Gardiner has been a revelation, changing the complexion of Toronto’s transition game with his speed and passing skills and giving Boston’s defenders fits with his daring raids deep into their zone as a fourth attacker. The confidence and imagination he displayed om Sunday night was staggering, but he’s still a work in progress. It’ll be interesting to see if coach Randy Carlyle keeps the green light turned on, or if he tries to rein Gardiner in … and if he does, what impact that will have on Toronto’s attack.

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Toronto’s Phil Kessel (right) scored the winning goal against his former club in Game 6. (Graig Abel/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

It wasn’t the best night for Toronto’s Nazem Kadri in the face-off circle. Forced into a greater role by the last-minute scratch of top center Tyler Bozak, Kadri lost 13 of his 16 draws.

But all anyone will remember is that he won the one that mattered. And he did it by beating the best in the game.

With the draw deep in the Boston zone after an icing call, Kadri smoked Patrice Bergeron. Seconds later, the puck was on the stick of Phil Kessel, who fired it past Tuukka Rask at 8:59 of the third. The goal held up as the game winner as the Maple Leafs beat the Bruins, 2-1, and sent the series back to Boston for Game 7 Monday night.

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James Reimer (right) made 43 stops to help the Maple Leafs edge the Brunis 2-1 Friday. (Charles Krupa/AP)

By Allan Muir 

While most pointed to an ill-timed pinch by Dion Phaneuf as the backbreaker in Wednesday’s crushing Game 4 loss to the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle looked instead at goaltender James Reimer and challenged him to be better.

With his team’s season on the line, the young star delivered, helping Toronto edge the Bruins 2-1 to extend their series to a sixth game at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday night.

Reimer wasn’t alone, of course. Through 40 minutes, the Leafs put together one of their finest efforts of the season, blitzing the Bruins early before a pair of individual efforts by Tyler Bozak and Clarke MacArthur gave Toronto a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

If not for the heroics of Boston netminder Tuukka Rask, who matched Reimer save for save, it could have been over early.

Some thoughts and observations on Game 5:

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Boston’s David Krejci (left) took advantage of a Dion Phaneuf mistake to score the winner in overtime. (Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

In a contest marked by displays of brute strength and aggression, Toronto’s Dion Phaneuf was the night’s chief punisher, doling out a game-high 10 hits against the Boston Bruins.

His decision to go for No. 11 cost the Leafs the game.

Midway through a breakneck-paced overtime period, Phaneuf targeted Nathan Horton in an ill-timed pinch at the Boston blue line. He got a piece of the big winger, but wiped out two of his own teammates in the process and allowed the puck to get by him to David Krejci. The Bruins center, who already had two goals in the contest, carried the puck into the Toronto zone, drew in tight and whipped the puck under the arm of James Reimer to give Boston a 4-3 win and a commanding 3-1 series lead.

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Boston’s Jaromir Jagr still has the talent that once made him one of the NHL’s most dominant players. (Getty Images)

By Sarah Kwak

For the first time in nine years, the city of Toronto, which many have long considered to be the epicenter of the hockey universe, renewed a long-lost tradition: hockey in May. Inside the Air Canada Centre, every high-priced seat was filled for the national anthems, which, according to Toronto natives, is an unusual sight. And it was a balmy 68 degrees in Maple Leaf Square, where thousands of fans — all decked in blue and white — stood for hours just to watch hockey on a humongous screen. Confetti dropped from the sky and television crews set up on-site sets. Now that’s some passion.

Though the visiting Boston Bruins spoiled the homecoming, defeating the Maple Leafs, 5-2, in Game 3 of their opening-round series, it’s still nice to welcome Toronto back to the playoffs. We’re happy to have you back, Leafs.

As for the game itself, here are some observations:

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Boston Marathon bombing victim Jeff Baumann was the Bruins’ official flag-bearer for Game 2. (Elise Amendola/AP)

By Brian Cazeneuve

BOSTON — The Maple Leafs’ 4-2 victory on Saturday night evened their series with the Boston Bruins at one game apiece, thanks in part to the changes they implemented after their ugly loss in Game 1. Here are some observations from Toronto’s first playoff win in nine years:

• There was a game within a game as Leafs coach Randy Carlyle tried to make last-second line changes even though Toronto was the visiting team. His moves caused Bruins coach Claude Julien to call the officials over to discuss their legality. Carlyle did his best to keep his struggling sniper, Phil Kessel, away from Boston’s shutdown defenseman Zdeno Chara. On a couple of occasions, Carlyle took him off the ice shortly after a face-off. He also removed Kessel from the team’s usual top line with Joffrey Lupul and Tyler Bozak, which gave some important minutes to winger Matt Frattin, who was playing in his first career playoff game. Frattin often spotted Kessel on the right side. “It was something we talked about the last couple of days,” Kessel said after game. “Something new to change it up.”

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Toronto’s James Reimer had a tough outing in his first-ever playoff start. (Elise Amendola/AP)

By Brian Cazeneuve

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round series. Here’s a breakdown of the action from TD Garden.

• The Bruins’ so-called energy line has been their best line on some nights. The combination of Gregory Campbell, Daniel Paille and Shawn Thornton gave Boston its first goal of the night and logged significant minutes throughout, in part as an answer to Toronto coach Randy Carlyle’s decision to play Colton Orr and his fourth line for 13 shifts. In eight minutes, Orr amassed 16 minutes of penalties. “They seem to relish that role,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said of his fourth-liners. “Two years ago, I played them against the Sedin twins. That’s how much confidence I had in them.”

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