Bruins-Maple Leafs: What we learned as Boston snaps 3-game losing streak

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The Bruins snapped their only losing streak of the season and head into the All-Star break with a 5-2 win.

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The Boston Bruins had hit a rut, seemingly running out of gas following three games in four nights against some of the NHL’s toughest opponents.

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With a 10-day layoff in sight, a loss against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs would’ve left a sour taste, but hardly affected the Black and Gold’s comfortable position atop the league standings.

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Instead, the Bruins addressed the many concerns that arose during their first multi-game losing streak of the year. After a weeklong skid, a reactivated Boston back-end led the charge.

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Derek Forbort and Brandon Carlo gave Boston their first two leads of the night, occurring at 6:57 and 12:33 of the second period, respectively.

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“I think we got back to our identity tonight,” Jim Montgomery said to NESN’s Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley. “I think our depth, our d-men, the scoring, our fourth line coming through like they did and Charlie Coyle’s line playing unbelievable. It was fun to watch.”

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Wednesday night saw a refreshing return to excellence during the final frame.

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A.J. Greer collected his fifth of the year just 2:13 into the third, and Pavel Zacha double-dipped later on.

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Zacha’s continued post-contract scoring prowess silenced Toronto’s comeback bid, beginning with his first tally a mere 30 seconds after Calle Jankrok had cut Boston’s lead to 3-2.

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Zacha capped off a tremendous shift by cutting back in the high slot and firing a dart past Ilya Samsonov to extend Boston’s lead to 4-2. The Czech forward added his second of the game just 3:11 later, converting on the doorstep following a stellar feed from fellow countryman David Krejci.

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Behind that third-period takeover, the Bruins returned to their winning ways before their 10-day layoff. Here’s what we learned after Boston improved to 39-7-5 following its 5-2 win in Toronto.

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