Toronto, ON, Canada

Tuukka Rask recorded 45 saves while Jaromir Jagr controlled the game with his puck-handling savvy as the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-2, to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Monda at Air Canada Center.

The 41-year-old Jagr, acquired from the Dallas Stars in the trade deadline, issued an assist and had six shots on goal in 18 shifts while David Krejci paced the Bruins with a goal and two assists.

Nathan Horton, Daniel Paille, Rich Peverley and Adam McQuaid also scored for the Bruins, who can take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series when play resumes.

"Jags hadn't been feeling that great and had to turn a corner here," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "He has new linemates and they haven't played that much together and I felt it was just a matter of giving him some time. Sometimes you have to be patient, and tonight it paid off."

Julien also praised Rask's composure despite receiving 47 shots from the Maple Leafs, who hosted a playoff game for the first time since May 4, 2004.

"He was good. He was solid," Julien said of Rask. "You need good goaltending in the playoffs and in the third period, they came out a very desperate team down 4-1 and we knew they were going to throw everything at us."

James Reimer tallied 33 saves while Phil Kessel and defenseman Jake Gardiner scored for the Maple Leafs.

The Bruins took a 2-0 lead behind goals by McQuaid in the first quarter and another from Peverley in the second period, assisted by Jagr.

Gardiner then scored an unassisted goal at 14:35 of the second period to bring the Maple Leafs within one but Horton tallied his third goal and Paille added a shorthanded tally for a 4-1 lead.

Kessel made it a two-goal game with a tally 47 seconds into the third period but the Bruins were never threatened from there.

 

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Tuukka Rask Stops 45 Shots as Bruins take 2-1 Series lead over Leafs