TORONTO — Mike Babcock was not sure how much difference his line adjustments made Rasheem Green Jersey , but the Toronto coach did notice the Maple Leafs‘ improved approach Saturday night in their 4-3 over the Boston Bruins in Game 5.
“I don’t know how much the line changes paid off, I just know that the guys were engaged,” Babcock said after the game in Boston. “We got off to a really good start and our penalty kill, obviously, was great. We were short-handed six times, (including) a five-on-three. So that was great. Our goaltender was good. We got the early lead and we were able to hang on.”
Boston takes a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series into Game 6 on Monday night in Toronto.
The Bruins can be expected to come out with a different attitude at the Air Canada Centre because their coach, Bruce Cassidy, was not impressed by his team’s effort Saturday when only one more win was needed to clinch the series.
The Bruins started slowly, leaking on defense and in goal as the Maple Leafs led 2-0 in the first period and 4-1 in the second.
“It clearly wasn’t good enough,” Cassidy said after the game. “And then obviously you want a save mixed in with those, and that didn’t happen either. So the stuff we’ve done well lately — defend Michael Strahan Jersey , get saves — that didn’t happen early on. The start wasn’t good enough.”
When the Maple Leafs took a 4-1 lead at 11:55 of the second period on their 13th shot of the game, Bruins No. 1 goaltender Tuukka Rask was replaced by Anton Khudobin.
In contrast, Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen had a strong game, stopping 42 shots.
“Freddie was great,” said Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri, who had an assist on his return from a three-game suspension. “He was great when we needed him to be huge for us (Saturday). He made some incredible saves and ultimately gave us a chance.”
Rask will be in goal for the Bruins on Monday.
“Tuukka tomorrow, ready to roll,” Cassidy said Sunday. “I thought in Game 3 he was average, and he came back with a very good game in Game 4 in Toronto. So I guess I’ll take the immediate history and it is clear that we need that going in there.
“(Saturday) he was not at his best, so we made a move accordingly. But I don’t think our team was at its best defending in front of him in terms of killing rushes and we allowed them too much space and that goes hand in hand.”
Bruins left winger Brad Marchand said the loss was not all on Rask.
“He’s a competitor and always is,” Marchand said. “He holds himself accountable for (Saturday) night and it wasn’t just on him. We could have been better in front of him ourselves and collectively as a group we need to be better.”
The Maple Leafs got Kadri back after he was suspended for an illegal hit in Game 1. Another center Marshon Lattimore Jersey , Leo Komarov, who suffered a lower-body injury, does not appear ready to return.
“When he talked to our guys (training staff) yesterday, he was at 85 percent. Eighty-five percent doesn’t cut it at playoff time,” Babcock said Sunday. “So when you’re ready to play, you’ve got a chance to get in. In my opinion, I haven’t been told at all that he’s available. That’s how it is.”
Babcock said Kadri made an impact in his return.
“I thought Naz made a huge impact,” he said. “He ran over people, he was mean, he made good plays. … I thought Naz was real good in the game.”
The Bruins had center Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup Saturday after he was a late scratch with an upper-body injury for Game 4 on Thursday in Toronto.
Boston defenseman Kevan Miller said the Bruins cannot afford another slow start Monday and must be ready to play for the entire 60 minutes or more.
“Yeah, I think that’s playoff hockey Derek Watt Jersey ,” Miller said. “That’s kind of the way things go sometimes. (Saturday) night we were pretty close. I think the first period got away from us, but you look at the whole game, after that, we did a pretty good job. It’s just something we’ve got to make sure we’re ready for 60 (Monday).”
All the Reds needed was one misstep by the White Sox to pull out another comeback win, with Alex Blandino delivering the final hit.
Blandino’s double in the eighth inning completed Cincinnati’s four-run rally for a 5-3 victory Monday night. Chicago returned to Great American Ball Park for the first time since 2009 and let one slip away with the help of a misplay that changed everything.
”If we secure one out either way … ” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
The Reds loaded the bases with one out against Chris Volstad (1-5). Adam Duvall grounded to first baseman Matt Davidson, who was indecisive and wound up failing to get an out.
Davidson intended to step on first and then throw home. He took several steps toward the base and changed his plan, throwing to the plate without stepping on first – too late to get Scooter Gennett sprinting in to score.
”I kind of just rushed myself and made a mistake and didn’t touch the base and threw home,” Davidson said. ”I looked up and saw the runner and forgot about touching first. I just messed up there.”
Billy Hamilton followed with a sacrifice fly that tied it at 3, and Blandino’s pinch-hit double put the Reds in position for another comeback win. They’ve trailed in seven of their last 10 victories.
Blandino has learned to pinch-hit this season. He is 7 for 21 off the bench with four RBIs.
”Pinch-hitting is something I’ve been working on since spring training,” he said. ”This is my first time coming off the bench. You’re facing the back end of the bullpen. You just try to stay on their best pitch and battle.”
Dylan Floro (3-2) retired two in the eighth. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances.
Until Chicago’s bullpen melted down, James Shields was in position to get his first road win since opening day. Chicago has scored three runs or less behind him in 14 of his last 16 starts.
”We were the ballgame all the way up to the end there Derek Rivers Jersey ,” Shields said. ”Unfortunately, we made a couple mistakes there at the end.”
Scott Schebler connected on Shields’ first pitch of the game, but he allowed only three more hits while going 6 2/3 innings.
The White Sox pulled ahead 2-1 in the seventh when Yoan Moncada doubled home the tying run and came around on Yolmer Sanchez’s single. Avisail Garcia added his fifth homer in the eighth. Garcia extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.
Chicago’s Jose Abreu went 0 for 3, ending his 19-game hitting streak in interleague play – one shy of Paul Konerko’s club record. Abreu fouled a ball off the inside of his left ankle in the sixth inning and left for a pinch hitter in the seventh.
INTERLEAGUE
The White Sox are 3-10 in interleague play this season. The Reds are 7-1 and have won six straight, their best streak in interleague play.
SERIES STUFF
The White Sox have dominated the series with the Reds, going 16-5. They’ve won 10 of the 13 games in Cincinnati.
RIGGLEMAN’S RECORD
The Reds improved to 34-33 under interim manager Jim Riggleman, who took over on April 19 when Bryan Price was fired after a 3-15 start.
ROAD WOES
Shields won Chicago’s season opener at Kansas City and hasn’t won on the road since then, largely because of the lack of run support. He’s 1-4 on the road this season.
REDS DEAL
The Reds acquired minor league outfielder Lorenzo Cedrola from the Red Sox in exchange for international signing bonus space.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: CF Leury Garcia was out of the lineup a day after he left a game with a jammed finger on his left hand. Renteria said Garcia was available to pinch-hit.
Reds: Homer Bailey makes his fourth rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. In three starts, he has allowed 22 hits and 15 earned runs in 16 innings.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Lucas Giolito (5-7) is 2-3 with a 6.81 ERA in his last seven starts. He has allowed five runs or more three times.
Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (3-1) makes his sixth start since returning from a strained oblique. He has never faced the White Sox.
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