(Photo Credits: Aaron Vincent Elkaim/The Canadian Press via AP)

By: Liz Rizzo | Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

The Playoff picture is now clearer in the East as a different-looking Boston Bruins team lose their final season game 5-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team sat out some of their key players and called up some familiar faces from Providence including Walpole-native Chris Wagner. Boston finished the season in the first wild card spot and will face the Carolina Hurricanes.

GAME RECAP

The Bruins got on the scoreboard early in the first period when Trent Frederic jammed the puck past Maple Leafs’ goaltender Erik Kallgren making it 1-0 at 01:10. Both Craig Smith and Charlie Coyle nabbed the assist on the goal.

Toronto tied the game at 1-1 when Ilya Mikheyev scored on the power-play deflecting a shot from Mike Giordano. The Leafs would gain the lead when William Nylander took advantage of bad passing and scored on the breakaway getting the puck past Jeremy Swayman. Nicholas Abruzzese would make it 3-1 when he nabbed his first NHL goal within seconds of the first period closing out.

END OF FIRST: BOS-1, TOR-3

SHOTS ON GOAL: BOS-6, TOR-10

The second period saw some close chances from both teams however no goals were scored. Boston and Toronto both had power-play chances when Nick Foligno was called for tripping against Wayne Simmonds. Tomas Nosek was nabbed for a dangerous cross-checking against Timothy Liljegren. The Maple Leafs did not take kindly to the hit and Morgan Reilly was called for roughing against Tomas Nosek. The period ended with four-on-four action.

SCORE END OF SECOND PERIOD: BOS-1, TOR-3

SHOTS ON GOAL: BOS-9, TOR-10

The Maple Leafs widened the lead as William Nylander scored his second of the night making it 4-1, tucking the puck behind Swayman. Boston looked to have made it 4-2 after Nick Foligno scored however the goal was ruled offside.

Boston’s Jake DeBrusk would make it count as he scored on a Craig Smith rebound during a power play, making it 4-2.

Despite some really close chances to close the gap, the Leafs solidified their win as Pierre Engvall made it 5-2 scoring into an empty net. Toronto will face the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Bruins will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Playoffs next week.