Marchand’s ‘unbelievable’ ‘art’ of avoiding penalties irks Leafs’ Keefe

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe referred to as it “unbelievable” what Boston Bruins ahead Brad Marchand was in a position to do within the visiting Bruins’ 4-2 win in Game 3 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff sequence on Wednesday.

Keefe was requested about an obvious non-call for interference that occurred within the first interval, when Marchand tripped up Leafs’ ahead Tyler Bertuzzi earlier than Boston ahead Trent Frederic tied the rating 1-1. Boston went on to safe a victory and take a 2-1 lead of their best-of-seven sequence.

“He gets calls,” Keefe mentioned of Marchand. “It’s unbelievable, actually, how it goes. You’ve got to play through that stuff. I don’t think there’s another player in this series who gets away with taking out Bertuzzi’s legs the way that he does. It’s an art and he’s elite at it.”

Marchand was a big issue all through the competition for Boston, ending with two objectives and one help and depositing the winner halfway by means of the third interval.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead when rookie Matthew Knies scored his first aim of the sequence within the first interval. Frederic’s salvo seemed to be aided by a scarcity of an interference name on Marchand towards Bertuzzi, and Knies acknowledged how the Leafs should regulate to handle Marchard’s presence.

“He wants to get under our skin,” Knies mentioned. “He wants to influence the refs, so I think we’ve just got to be composed and not kind of get into that bulls—. Just play hard and make him [not as] effective.”

That’s simpler mentioned than completed. Marchand additionally drew the Leafs’ ire when he took down ahead Auston Matthews behind the online with out a name. And Marchand bought concerned once more with Bertuzzi within the offensive zone proper earlier than pocketing the empty-netter to seal Boston’s win.

It was a bitter finish for Toronto in a number of methods. The Leafs fell behind within the second off Jake DeBrusk‘s third rating of the sequence. Toronto’s Morgan Rielly responded to knot the rating at 2-2 within the third, however simply 28 seconds later Marchand fired dwelling his go-ahead dagger.

“You’ve got to recognize he’s a world-class player, both in ability and how he plays, in the gamesmanship and everything,” Keefe mentioned of Marchand. “It’s world class, and he’s been in the league long enough, as you can see. … We have to manage our way through that, avoid putting ourselves in situations where he can put us in those spots. And as far as his game is concerned, I think we’ve managed that pretty well, for the most part. Obviously, tonight, we make a mistake at a key time that allows him to get the winner.”

Now it is on Toronto to reply when the 2 sides meet once more in Game 4 on Saturday. The Leafs have misplaced 5 straight playoff contests at dwelling. Another defeat at dwelling means they might face elimination in Boston in Game 5.