Lars Eller injury overshadows Senators' win

Fifty shots is usually enough to win a hockey game, but apparently not when Craig Anderson is in goal.

Anderson made 48 saves and the Ottawa Senators staged a third-period comeback to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in the opening game of the first playoff series to be played between the geographic rivals.

The Canadiens set team playoff records with 27 shots in the second period and 50 overall in what was a losing cause mostly because Anderson outplayed Montreal goalie Carey Price, who stopped 27 shots at the other end.

"What can you say? Andy's our MVP," said defenceman Marc Methot, who scored the game-winning goal. "He's a machine back there. He just keeps going and going. We're lucky to have him in the net."

The Senators will take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final going into Game 2 on Friday at the Bell Centre in Montreal (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET).

The Canadiens will be without one of their hottest forwards, centre Lars Eller, who was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher bleeding heavily from the face and taken to hospital. He suffered a concussion, as well as fractures to his face and teeth, after an open-ice hit from Ottawa defenceman Eric Gryba.

Eller had taken an ill-considered pass up the middle from Raphael Diaz when he was flattened by Gryba with a hit that the NHL is likely to review for further discipline. He was given a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct.

"It was a hockey play," said Ottawa coach Paul MacLean. "Our guy hit him, but Player 61 [Diaz] is the guy to blame."

"I can't comment," said Montreal coach Michel Therrien.

Penalty-kill shines

Brendan Gallagher scored during the resulting power play to put Montreal up 2-1, but the Senators' league-best penalty killers then shut the door during a full two-minute, two-man advantage to stay in the game heading into the third.

Jakob Silfverberg tied it with a shot that sailed between Price's legs from the right circle 3:27 into the period and Mathot swept a shot from the point into the top corner to put Ottawa ahead at 5:20.

Guillaume Latendresse, a former Canadien who was booed by most of the 21,273 in the seats, sealed the win with a goal that went in off his body as he drove to the net at 13:55.

Erik Karlsson scored in the first period for Ottawa, while Rene Bourque got one early in the second for Montreal.

"You just have to give your team an opportunity to stay in the game and win," said Anderson, who led NHL goaltenders with a 1.69 goals-against average and .941 save percentage this season, but likely won't get the Vezina Trophy because he missed 20 games with an ankle injury.

"Montreal played a really good second period. They had a lot of momentum. Our penalty kill did a good job of finding a way to keep them to one goal and give us a chance to get back in the game. We went from having no momentum in the second and taking momentum back in the third."

Therrien was impressed.

"We played a good game and we deserved a better result," he said. "I'm proud of our team.

"We had 50 shots. We went to the net. But the story of the game was Anderson. He was extraordinary."

Sharp early on

Anderson was sharp as the Senators weathered a fierce Canadiens push in the first 10 minutes before Karlsson put on a show for the opening goal at 17:25.

The 2012 Norris Trophy winner, who returned late in the regular season from an injury to his Achilles tendon, skated through the neutral zone into Montreal territory and worked a give and go with Kyle Turris, redirecting the return pass along the ice between Price's pads.

Montreal tied the game when Bourque came out from behind the net and beat Anderson with a backhand under the crossbar on Montreal's 34th shot of the game at 13:09.

After the Gryba hit and Ottawa down a man, Gallagher banged in a Tomas Plekanec pass at 14:08 to put Montreal in the lead.

Canadiens captain Brian Gionta said the quantity of shots was fine, and the quality was there some of the time, but his team needs to do better in Game 2.

"We lost a little momentum there," he said. "We battled hard most of the game, but we've got to do a little better job of getting second and third opportunities.

"We had a lot of good chances, quality chances, but we've got to find a way to get those rebounds or a little more urgency in front of their net. He's a good goalie and he's going to make the first stop, for sure."

Gryba's hit came after Montreal's P.K. Subban flattened Chris Neil with an open ice hit, but the Ottawa tough guy wasn't injured on the play.

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Did You See That? Lars Eller stretchered off ice

Ottawa Senators defenceman Eric Gryba officially became Public Enemy No. 1 in Montreal Thursday night. With the score tied 1-1 in the second, Gryba laid out Habs centre Lars Eller at 13:28, drawing the ire of Canadiens players and fans.

Warning: Both the above picture and video below contain graphic content.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Eric Gryba officially became Public Enemy No. 1 in Montreal Thursday night.

With the score tied 1-1 in the second, Gryba laid out Habs centre Lars Eller at 13:28, drawing the ire of Canadiens players and fans.

The hit occurred in Montreal's end, as Canadiens defenceman Raphael Diaz sent a suicide pass up ice to Eller, who appeared to be drilled in the head by Gryba's shoulder.

Eller collapsed face first to the ice and was bleeding profusely from his forehead. Eller did sit up but was eventually wheeled off the ice on a stretcher.

Gryba was assessed a five-minute interference major and a game misconduct. The Canadiens scored on the ensuing power play. The Sens, however, rallied for a win 4-2 to take Game 1.

Eller suffered facial and dental fractures, along with a concussion.

He was taken to hospital for observation.

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NHL shouldn't suspend Gryba: Hockey Night panel

Eric Gryba's hit on Lars Eller Thursday night that left a pool of blood on the Bell Centre ice and the Montreal Canadiens forward with a concussion, plus facial and dental fractures also brought back a flood of bad memories for Glenn Healy.

Healy was tending goal for the New York Islanders in Game 7 of the Patrick Division final on May 14, 1993, when Pittsburgh forward Kevin Stevens suffered a terrible injury.

Stevens skated into the Islanders zone and attemped to hit defenceman Rich Pilon but instead was met by the latter's visor that knocked Stevens unconscious.

Like Eller, Stevens hit the ice face first and was unable to use his hands or arms to cushion the blow. He required extensive surgery on his face including 100 stitches as doctors peeled back his skin and reassembled the bones in Stevens's face using metal plates.

"The Pilon hit was to my right," Healy, now a Hockey Night in Canada analyst, told viewers in the second intermission. "Stevens's face [as] they described after the game was like cracking an egg. He was never the same after that."

Hopefully, the same isn't true for Eller, who tried to get up before being taken off the ice on a stretcher and spent the night in a Montreal hospital.

The HNIC panel agreed the Gryba hit is not worthy of a suspension, but Ottawa's rookie defenceman will have a telephone hearing with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan on Friday at noon ET.

Eller was taken off the ice on a stretcher at 13:28 of the second period with the Canadiens leading 2-1 in Game 1 of an NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final.

'It's not interference because he [Eller] just touched the puck [at the time of impact].'— HNIC analyst P.J. Stock

He was caught with his head down and absorbed Gryba's open-ice hit near the Montreal blue-line after receiving a Raphael Diaz pass.

'He does not leave his feet'

Gryba, whose shoulder appeared to contact Eller's head first on the hit, was assessed a five-minute interference penalty and game misconduct by referees Mike Leggo and Dan O'Rourke.

"He does not leave his feet," said HNIC analyst P.J. Stock of Gryba, a 25-year-old Saskatoon native. "He leads with his shoulder. It's not interference because he [Eller] just touched the puck [at the time of impact].

"We're looking at the blood all over the ice [from Eller bleeding from the forehead] and the call ends up being five [minutes] and a game misconduct. It's a two [minute penalty] in my opinion."

Fellow HNIC analyst Elliotte Friedman agreed with Stock that the hit was only worthy of a minor penalty. He also came to the defence of Leggo and O'Rourke.

"I would defend the referees in this case," he said, "because when you're in the middle of that [type of hit] and see that result [blood and stretcher] I can't blame them for making that call.

"The hit, when you watch it [in slow motion] doesn't look as bad as when you see it initially in regular speed."

Healy criticized Diaz for making "a stupid pass," saying the second-year NHL blue-liner set a player up for maybe a career's worth of injuries.

"Everybody hopes that Eller's all right," Friedman added. "That's the number one thing I think everyone is thinking."

Ottawa scored three times in the third period for a 4-2 victory.

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Stanley Cup Stories: Canadiens get scare with Lars Eller

The end result between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators was overshadowed by a frightening incident that sent Habs forward Lars Eller off the ice in a stretcher. Elsewhere, the Boston Bruins found out they will be without one of their defencemen for Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. These are just a couple of the stories that generated headlines Thursday in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

1. The Senators struck first in their Eastern Conference quarter-final series against the Montreal Canadiens with a 4-2 Game 1 win, but it wasn't Ottawa's victory that generated the most discussion. At 13:28 of the second period, Senators defenceman Eric Gryba levelled Lars Eller, which gave rise to a gruesome on-ice scene while trainers attended to the fallen forward as he was stretchered off. Gryba denied any intent to injure, but a date with NHL head disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan is set for Friday for the rookie. Eller suffered a concussion, dental and facial fractures on the play. The incident created a social media stir as plenty of Senators players and NHLers alike weighed in on about the play. Will there be any disciplinary action? The Hockey Night in Canada panel doesn't think there should be. The Habs and Sens won't get much time to think about it as they battle again Friday night for Game 2 in Montreal (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET).

2. Mikhail Grabovski got a measure of revenge Thursday as Andrew Ference was punished for the vicious elbow he threw on the Leafs forward Wednesday night. The Boston Bruins blue-liner was suspended one game by the NHL and will be forced to sit out Game 2 on Saturday night against Toronto (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET). But while one Bruins' defenceman will be out, another one is elevating his game. As CBCSports.ca senior hockey writer Tim Wharnsby writes, Wade Redden has been resurgent for Beantown.

3. St. Louis had the defending Stanley Cup champions singing the blues Thursday thanks to a late third-period goal by Barret Jackman. With just over 50 seconds to go, the unsung hero helped lift the Blues to a 2-1 win and ultimately a 2-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Kings. As profiled on the Hockey Night in Canada Close Up, Jonathan Quick and Brian Elliott were solid with 23 and 28 stops, respectively. Game 3 takes place on Friday night (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 10 p.m. ET) as the series shifts to L.A.

4. A wild back-and-forth affair in Anaheim culminated in a 5-4 overtime win by the Red Wings. After carrying a 4-1 lead midway into the third period, Detroit surrendered three unanswered goals to the Ducks and found itself heading to an extra frame. But it didn't take long for the Red Wings to even the series at one game apiece, as Gustav Nyquist played the hero just over a minute in to end the game. In Washington, the Capitals' strong play continued after they came back to beat the New York Rangers 3-1 to draw first blood in their series. Alex Ovechkin passed Peter Bondra for the franchise's all-time playoff goals lead to continue his hot run.

5. The Vancouver Canucks will try to rebound from a disappointing start in their series when they host the San Jose Sharks for Game 2 Friday night (10 p.m. ET). And the Canucks will need to make some adjustments if they hope to even their series at 1-1.

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Trillo Talk: Bad pass, fair hit, ugly result

The controversial hit Montreal Canadiens forward Lars Eller took from Ottawa Senators defenceman Eric Gryba can be best explained this way: bad pass, fair hit, ugly result.

Ottawa Senators 4, Montreal Canadiens 2

On-Ice: After turning in a 48-save performance -- losing a tooth in the process -- and being told he set a franchise record for saves in regulation during a playoff game, Senators goaltender Craig Anderson got the 'Oops, my bad' from team officials that he was one save short of the record. 

An absolute horrific scene when Canadiens forward Lars Eller took a hit from Senators defenceman Eric Gryba. There was an instant pool of blood on the ice. Eller was taken off on a stretcher and sent to the hospital for tests after suffering facial and dental fractures, and loss of consciousness. Gryba was ejected and has a league hearing Friday afternoon. But watch the play -- Ottawa head coach Paul MacLean blames Raphael Diaz, who sent the pass to Eller. Lots of opinions on this one, so allow me to chime in: Bad pass, fair hit, ugly result.

Off-Ice: The best in arena pre-game shows are at Montreal's Bell Centre. The young kid skating to centre ice with the torch, placing it down, and the great effect of the entire ice lighting up in flames is just incredible.

Washington Capitals 3, New York Rangers 1

On-Ice: The Rangers were called for too many men on the ice just 34 seconds into the game. They escaped that brain cramp and, in fact, scored first. But there's a reason why the Capitals went 15-2-2 in their final 19 regular-season games: Alex Ovechkin. His goal in Game 1 was his 31st career post-season goal, making him the franchise leader. 

Off-Ice:  Ovechkin's fiancee, pro tennis player Maria Kirilenko, once said that Ovie threw a hissy fit when he couldn't find her in the stands during a game. When her location was pointed out to him, he went out and scored a hat trick. Pssst, Rangers, have a little fun and change her seat throughout the game!

St. Louis Blue 2, Los Angeles Kings  1

On-Ice: These two teams do not like each other. A lot of physical play in Game 2 -- and some cheap shots as well. I've decided that Kings captain Dustin Brown is a dirty player. And Blues forward David Perron didn't endear himself either, when he targeted Dustin Penner's head. And guys, is it really necessary to face wash each other after every whistle?

Off-Ice: Another wild night for Kings netminder Jonathan Quick. During warmup, a puck was shot between his legs and hit him in the kibbles 'n bits -- a feeling I will never experience, phew! Quick still started the game, played very well, took down Perron hard and theeennn... let in a weak goal to lose the game and go down in the series, 2-0. 

Detroit Red Wings 5, Anaheim Ducks 4 (OT)

On-Ice: Hey Detroit, this isn't last year; this time around, Anaheim finished second in the Western Conference and you barely squeaked in. The Red Wings had a 3-0 lead at one point, then took a 4-1 lead in the third period. But with 13 minutes left, the Ducks fired off three goals to tie it up and force overtime. Detroit pulled off the victory and it was exciting, so I'll stop complaining right about now.

Off-Ice: Todd Bertuzzi was inserted into the Red Wings lineup for the first time since Feb. 7. Back pains and nerve pain in his right leg have kept him on the sidelines. Incredible will and determination to keep on playing. But this guy is just asking to be a walking icepack when he eventually does retire.

Follow Andi Petrillo on Twitter @andipHNIC

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Stanley Cup Stories: Penguins, Bruins come up big

Total domination by the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins stole the show on Day 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But rough play also sparked some buzz in the top five NHL stories from Wednesday:

1. Before the start of Game 1 between Toronto and Boston, Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman got the country acquainted with the Leafs' goaltending duo. But it was the Bruins who really got to know James Reimer in their 4-1 victory. The Leafs netminder held off Boston as much as he could, but Toronto was outplayed and outshot 40-20 in their first playoff appearance in nine years. Tim Wharnsby writes in his post-game blog: "The Maple Leafs' playoff inexperience was evident ... They lacked determination and discipline." But some might suggest Bruins' defenceman Andrew Ference was undisciplined with this elbow to the head of Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski. Will the Maple Leafs recover in Game 2 on Saturday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET)?

2. Fans followed the Boston-Toronto matchup on social media, starting from James Van Riemsdyk's opening goal for the Leafs in the first period. But you must wonder how this diehard Buds supporter reacted as he watched his team fall to the Bruins' four unanswered goals.

3. In these playoffs' first edition of Coach's Corner, Don Cherry held firm on his belief that female reporters should not be granted access to sports dressing rooms occupied by male athletes. "If they're going to act the way they act [in an inappropriate way], you would not want your daughter or sister in there, believe me," said the Hockey Night in Canada personality. Meanwhile, host Ron MacLean contends that the locker room is a place for all media. He writes, "As with all reporting, our world is better off now that females and reporters of all beliefs and backgrounds have joined the conversation. Broadened its scope."

4. The Pittsburgh Penguins bought their captain some more healing time with a 5-0 win over the New York Islanders. With Sidney Crosby still nursing a broken jaw, teammate Pascal Dupuis stepped up and scored a pair of goals to support goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's 26-save effort. But the Pens may need to lean more on their depth if James Neal misses any time with this injury, as discussed by PJ Stock and Andi Petrillo at the end of the Chevrolet Post-Game Show.

5. Canucks fans at Rogers Arena enjoyed this Raffi Torres own goal to put Vancouver ahead in the second period. But the San Jose Sharks resurfaced and drowned the Canucks 3-1 to steal Game 1. Check out all the best shots from the series opener.

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Wharnsby: Leafs' inexperience evident in Boston

In their series opener, a one-sided 4-1 defeat to the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden, the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff inexperience was evident.

BOSTON -- The Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans waited nine years for this?

Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh. But the Maple Leafs worst fears were realized in their first playoff game since 2004 on Wednesday. They weren't able to shake a late-season funk that saw them outplayed and outshot in the majority of their outings down the stretch.

In their series opener, a one-sided 4-1 defeat to the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden, the Maple Leafs playoff inexperience was evident. They were sloppy in all three zones. They lacked determination and discipline. They spent far too much time chasing the Bruins in the Toronto end of the rink.

Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle said it best, his team "self-destructed." He also vowed to make some lineup changes for Game 2 on Saturday.

It's hard to believe now, but Toronto actually led 1-0 on a James van Riemsdyk power-play goal one minute and 54 seconds into the game. After that, nothing good happened for the Maple Leafs.

Toronto defenceman Cody Franson suffered a foot injury early in the second period after he blocked a shot. He walked with a noticeable limp afterwards, but felt with some treatments he would be ready for Saturday. 

Netminder James Reimer, one of 10 Toronto players who made their Stanley Cup playoff debut in the series opener, also was shaky. But he faced more odd-man rushes than Mikey the bartender does after Bruins and Celtics games at the popular Fours Restaurant and Sports Bar around the corner from the TD Garden.

And did anyone see Phil Kessel? He checked in with one shot on goal in the second period and continued to struggle against his former team since Boston traded him to the Maple Leafs four years ago. Kessel now has only three power-play goals in 23 games and no points in five games this year.

Physical Bruins

Maybe he, too, was injured in this game. The Bruins were physical, but disciplined. Hockey Night in Canada cameras caught Kessel wincing on the bench early in the second period. His ice time of 13:51 certainly reflected his effectiveness.

The Bruins on the other hand, a team with a combined 22 Stanley Cup rings, overcame their late-season doldrums that saw them finish the final quarter at 4-6-4, worst among the 16 clubs that made the playoffs.

Bruins coach Claude Julien remarked before the game that the post-season was an opportunity for a fresh start. The message was heard loud and clear because his players kicked up their game a notch.

A few of the local reporters I talked to remarked afterwards that this was the Bruins best game of the season. The atmosphere in their dressing room was buoyant as players talked about the win next to a Bruins sweater that hung on one wall with Boston 617 Strong stitched on the back, in honour of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings last month. 

It was neat to see veteran 35-year-old defenceman Wade Redden score the Bruins first goal and then set up the go-ahead marker, a deflection from Nathan Horton. That second goal was huge because moments before van Riemsdyk hit the post off a rush. Redden and Horton swiftly went the other way to score with 11.7 seconds remaining in the first period.

Rangers let Redden go

Until this season, Redden had been buried in the AHL for a couple of season because the New York Rangers no longer liked the front-loaded, six-year contract they signed him to in 2008.

Because of the new collective agreement struck in January, Redden was bought out and signed with the St. Louis Blues. He was then traded to the Bruins last month and has supplanted rookie Dougie Hamilton as a regular. His memorable offensive effort was a small measure of revenge for all those playoff losses to the Maple Leafs as a member of the Ottawa Senators.

The current Maple Leafs now have until Saturday evening to see if they can return home with a split. That's a long time to stew over a game, but plenty of time to correct the many ills in their game.

Maybe their second Stanley Cup playoff game in nine years will be worth the wait.

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Sharks show more fight than Canucks in Game 1

For much of the night against the San Jose Sharks, the Vancouver Canucks looked like a boxer that had climbed into the ring with a much better fighter.

By Jim Morris, special to CBC Sports

VANCOUVER -- For much of the night against the San Jose Sharks, the Vancouver Canucks looked like a boxer that had climbed into the ring with a much better fighter.

The Canucks were able to bob and weave and duck some punches. They even landed a few blows of their own.

But as the opening game of the NHL Western Conference quarter-final progressed Wednesday, the Canucks began to fade. You knew it was only a matter of time before the bigger, stronger Sharks would land the knockout blow.

Logan Couture staggered the Canucks with a power-play goal to tie the game late in the second period. It came after Vancouver's Zack Kassian gave Couture a needless high hit.

Dan Boyle put the Canucks on the ropes when he scored on a scramble midway through the third period. Four Vancouver players converged on San Jose centre Tommy Wingels, but the puck squirted to Boyle, who had a wide-open net.

Patrick Marleau buckled the Canucks' knees when he was left unchecked in front of the net and beat goaltender Roberto Luongo on the far side.

"We have to find a way to be better," Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault said after the 3-1 loss.

"I know our top guys can play better than they did tonight. At the end of the night, we have to play better than we did."

It was the second straight year that Vancouver dropped the opening game of the playoffs at home. The Canucks have lost five straight home playoff games, dating back to their Game 7 loss against Boston in the 2011 Stanley Cup final.

Vancouver also was beaten by a team that won just eight road games during the regular season.

A Canucks power play that had showed some life near the end of the season looked stagnant, failing to score on two chances. San Jose was quicker to the puck and won more battles along the boards.

While the Sharks danced a jig most of the night, the Canucks did a slow waltz. When Vancouver did get scoring chances, they were sucked up like a vacuum cleaner by Shark goaltender Antii Niemi. The Canucks' only goal came in the second period when defenceman Kevin Bieksa scored on a scramble.

"We've got to bear down when we get the chances," said Canucks captain Henrik Sedin, who like twin brother Daniel, went rather unnoticed all night.

"We spent way too much time chasing the puck tonight."

'Banging and hacking'

If it wasn't for some great goaltending by Luongo, the game could have been over in the first period when the Sharks outshot Vancouver 15-9.

One of Luongo's best saves came during the Sharks' first power play. Forward Martin Havlat blasted a shot that Luongo blocked. The rebound bounced to Marleau, who fired a bullet that Luongo stopped with his pad.

Later, on the same power play, Couture launched a rocket that Luongo calmly gloved. That produced chants of "Luuu, Luuu" from the crowd at Rogers Arena.

It was a playoff start Luongo hadn't expected. He was pressed into service because of an unspecified injury to Cory Schneider. Schneider, who had taken over as Vancouver's No. 1, didn't even dress for the game, leaving Joe Cannata as the backup.

Luongo's play hid many of the team's flaws.

"I don't think there was a lack of effort," said Luongo. "We saw the type of goals that were scored tonight.

"It was around the crease, banging and hacking away. That's the way it's going to be."

'Chipper self'

Canucks centre Ryan Kesler, the motor who can drive Vancouver, looked like a player badly in need of repair. He spent a lot of time hunched over and seemed to have trouble moving. Last summer, he underwent shoulder and wrist surgery. Two years ago, he had hip surgery.

Kesler, who didn't take the morning skate, finished the game with 21 minutes and 33 seconds of ice time, but just two shots on net and one hit.

He slipped questions about his health.

"Do I ever feel like my chipper self?" he said.

The Canucks will have a chance to redeem themselves when Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is played Friday night.

A win puts Vancouver right back in the fight. Another loss and the Canucks might be looking for a soft spot on the canvas to land.

Follow Jim Morris on Twitter @jememorris

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Bruins spoil Leafs' return to post-season with dominant win

Nine years out of the NHL playoffs and the Toronto Maple Leafs looked rusty. And sloppy. And, by the end, befuddled.

David Krejci had a goal and two assists as the Boston Bruins spoiled Toronto's long-awaited return to the post-season, scoring four unanswered goals to defeat the sloppy Maple Leafs 4-1 on Wednesday night.

The Bruins went behind early but clawed their way back into the game before a capacity crowd of 17,565 in yellow-and-black at TD Garden — Boston's 154th straight sellout. The experienced Bruins turned the screws on the error-prone Leafs as the game wore on.

"I just thought we self-destructed ... We know that this is going to take more than an ordinary effort and tonight our effort wasn't anywhere near close enough to put us in a competitive position," said Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle.

Fans may have partied early in Toronto but last call was reserved for Bruins fans on this night.

Wade Redden, Nathan Horton and Johnny Boychuk also scored for Boston on a night where video review ratified one Bruins goal and disallowed two more.

Krejci, meanwhile, registered his 13th career multi-point playoff game in his 60th appearance in the post-season.

James Van Riemsdyk scored for Toronto, whose big guns were silent.

Boston outshot Toronto 40-20, including 14-6 in the third period.

"We left Reims [goalie James Reimer] out to dry for most of the game," said Leafs centre Nazem Kadri, who also lamented a string of undisciplined turnovers.

"We are just killing ourselves when we do those type of things," he said. "No one expects to win when you're playing shinny hockey out there."

"I've never seen so many people fall down with nobody around them," added Carlyle.

'We left Reims [goalie James Reimer] out to dry for most of the game. We are just killing ourselves when we do those type of things. No one expects to win when you're playing shinny hockey out there.'—Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri

Game 2 goes Saturday and Carlyle promised changes in his lineup.

"There are some thing we did that were totally, totally unacceptable from our standpoint and from a coaching standpoint and we have to correct it," he said. "And now we have two days of practice and we're going to practise to get better."

Carlyle said the good news was that his players can perform better.

"And they know they can," he added. "We have to take that responsibility in the next couple of days to get ourselves ready."

The game pitted the fourth-seeded Bruins (28-14-6, 62 points) against the fifth-seeded Leafs (28-17-5, 57 points)

Their records this season may have been similar but the two teams have come from different hockey neighbourhoods.

It was Toronto's first appearance in the post-season since 2004 when the Leafs were beaten in six games by the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Bruins, who won the Stanley Cup in 2011, were eliminated in the first round by the Washington Capitals last season.

"I hope MapleLeafs fans enjoy their 1st playoff game in HD this evening," tweeted Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Not so much.

"We've been better as a group," Toronto defenceman Cody Franson said by way of understatement. "We kind of made our own fate tonight. We got away from our system and it showed."

But perhaps not surprising given the jaw-dropping gap in post-season experience between the two.

Going into the game, 15 players on Toronto's current 25-man roster had never seen playoff action. Boston entered the series with 1,273 games of playoff experience on its roster, compared to just 206 for the Leafs.

Stanley Cup experience

The Boston roster boasts 22 Stanley Cup rings.

Boston coach Claude Julien referred to his team's experience several times in his post-game news conference.

"We've got some veteran players who have been through the trenches and certainly know how to react to situations like this," he said. "We were a focused team from start to finish."

The puck dropped just hours after more developments in the Boston bombings investigation.

Three college friends of the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect now face charges: two with conspiring to obstruct justice and the third with making false statements.

The Bruins finished off the season with seven losses in their last nine games. But they had to play six games in nine nights, due in part to schedule disruptions by the terrorist attack.

Julien said his players had benefited mentally in turning a new page in the playoffs.

"It hasn't been an easy stretch for us," said Julien. "It's been draining, it's been draining for players to deal with that stuff. I think we're all sentimental to what happened to this city."

Boston Strong was met by Toronto Tough on the night as Carlyle dressed both Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren, who ranked No. 1 and 8 respectively in penalty minutes during the regular season. The two dropped the gloves a combined 25 times in 48 games.

Orr and McLaren saw limited action but did their best to initiate contact before and after the whistle, while Orr was ejected in the final minutes of the game after being involved in a scrum. Carlyle suggested Boston tough guy Shawn Thornton came off the bench to enter the final melee.

The abrasive Leo Komarov may have won the pest award for the evening, looking to torment anyone in black and yellow. Komarov was less effective in the third, when he picked up an early misconduct.

"This is playoff hockey. Two tough teams playing each other ... That stuff doesn't bother us," said Julien.

Toronto went ahead early on the power play as Van Riemsdyk tucked a puck into an open net at 1:54 after a Phil Kessel shot was tipped by Tyler Bozak and ended up behind the goal with Franson. The defenceman tried to tuck it in but instead the puck went to Van Riemsdyk, who had endured plenty of punishment to retain his position in front of goal. The big Leafs forward then took advantage of an out-of-position Tuukka Rask.

Rough justice

Bruins defenceman Andrew Ference administered some rough justice of his own, elbowing Mikhail Grabovski in the head by the boards. He went unpunished.

The 35-year-old Redden tied it up at 16:20, squeezing a shot at a tight angle from the edge of the faceoff circle through Reimer. The Toronto goalie may have had his view of the shot impeded by defenceman Michael Kostka, who was minus-3 on the night.

There was a turning point late in the period with Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf in the penalty box for slashing. Reimer did his bit, stopping one effort in spectacular fashion by making like a snow angel on his back in the crease. Van Riemsdyk raced up the ice and whipped a shot off the Boston crossbar.

The penalty was seven seconds from expiring when the Bruins fired back, with Horton tipping in a Redden shot at 19:48. Officials reviewed the goal, to see if Horton's stick was over the crossbar when it made contact with the puck, but the play stood.

Boston appeared to have profited from a Kadri turnover early in the second period but video review showed that Tyler Seguin's shot had hit the crossbar.

Toronto began to bottle the Bruins up in their own zone but failed to convert that into shots on goal. A Bozak breakaway was disrupted by a chasing Kaspars Daugavins at the last second.

Boston then took advantage of a Leaf change with Krejci beating Reimer on a low turnaround shot at 10:25 as the Bruins attackers were allowed to race into the Toronto defensive zone unmolested.

Boychuk made it 4-1 when he beat Reimer on the glove side with a slapshot from the blue-line at 15:44.

Boychuk flattened Grabovski at the boards at 3:45 of the third, sparking a melee that saw Orr take two minors and Ference one. Orr's choice of retaliation over discipline did not help the Toronto comeback cause.

A Patrice Bergeron goal was called off minutes later. Reimer had the puck between his legs, only to have the Bruin poke it through into the goal. But it was ruled the play was dead.

Bozak, the Leafs first-line centre, played after declaring himself fit from an upper-body injury, believed to be a shoulder, that had kept him out of the final two regular season games.

The Bruins are now 27-6-5 in their last 38 games against Toronto and 12-1-1 in their last 14 on home ice. They won three of four against the Leafs this season, but three of those games were decided by one goal with the other going to a shootout.

"The series is not over," said Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul. "It's one game. You have to win four. There's plenty of belief in here."

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Ron MacLean: Dressing room is place for all media

Locker room availability frees the reporter to choose his or her subject and get a coveted 1-on-1 interview. (Marianne Helm/Getty Images)

It's Don's story. But I was caught in it. As you may have sensed, I had no advance warning of the topics of Duncan Keith's angry interview last week or female reporters in the dressing room being raised this past Saturday. That's rare. And it's OK. Don and I generally go over the subject matter. But, of course, we freewheel a fair bit too.

Should an explanation of his "I don't believe women should be in a male dressing room" be made during our Toronto at Boston telecast on Wednesday, just knowing how limited time is and it won't be possible to add my take on the incident, I felt I should share my views here for the record.

Much of what I'm about to say is informed by a legendary sportswriter, the late Leonard Koppett and his memoir, The Rise and Fall of the Press Box.

Koppett was primarily a baseball writer and he explains the history of reporters in the clubhouse for what it is: a publicity arrangement. It's business.

The clubhouse, which in other sports is called the dressing or locker room, belongs to the club management. The rules of that room are dictated by the club, not the performers.

Coaches and players often view any outsider's entry into their private place as an intrusion. They think of it as their home. But for a brief window each day, it's not. It's their office. And it is the reporter's office as well. It's where the players and media transact in the same business: selling the game. The reporters get stories, generate publicity and the team sells tickets. Players resent but must accept this relationship.

High and moral posturing

Any high and moral posturing by a reporter as concerns journalism should always be tempered by that reality. But make no mistake: journalism does come from that room both through things said by team representatives and in some cases as the result of things seen by reporters (i.e. strange pills in a locker).

The climate, while beneficial to the club and the media outlet, is often hostile. That's why there is a 10-minute cooling off period before reporters are allowed in. Home team dressing rooms offer a myriad of escapes so that players can avoid the press, but visiting rooms are often crowded.

One team has always lost. The reporter is on deadline. TV lights, cameras, microphones. Add family and friends who are often allowed in and players feel besieged. There are so many factors in how quickly this symbiotic partnership can degenerate. Players, when cornered, can behave rudely and often abusively.

Don has experienced it. So have I. Often reporters ignore it because it's bad for business to raise the issue. Here again, the rules of engagement must be set by the club and the league.

Seeking players

You may ask, why let reporters in? Why not just bring the players to a press conference? It's two-fold. If reporters don't receive such access there's a risk they'll seek out the player not brought to the press area. They'll seek him out in a restaurant, bar or even at the family house. The dressing room is convenient. It's quick. And the room availability frees the reporter to choose his or her subject and get the coveted 1-on-1 interview.

When this business arrangement began, the voice in the conversation was homogenous. You had newspapermen and publicity men driving the message.

As with all reporting, our world is better off now that females and reporters of all beliefs and backgrounds have joined the conversation. Broadened its scope.

All this said, it's only natural that as each of us brings our integrity, which in the end is the ultimate compass on ethics and responsibility, and our belief system to the story, there will be debate. Where else can wisdom be found?

I'll let Don speak to his intentions, but it is rather obvious it stems from the equally contentious topic of chivalry. There's not much calling for a knight these days and yet there are elements of such schooling which must inform the discussion if we are to achieve what Alan Dershowitz described as "Rights from Wrongs."

I was disappointed for Don because I knew his solution was wrong. But I wasn't disappointed in him. I admired his commitment to exploring a root cause.

As for the dressing room and the media, it's business. A job for all.

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