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# Leafs take down Bolts, win first two-in-a-row since February
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/leafs-take-down-bolts-win-first-two-in-a-row-since-february/
- Published: 2015-04-01T01:14:05.000Z
- Updated: 2015-04-01T01:14:05.000Z
- Description: Leafs' year-ending "playoff series" continues with second win against Atlantic division rivals.
- Author: Achariya
- Tags: Game Coverage, #chorus, #Import 2023-04-05 11:15

The Leafs were challenged by Horachek to play their last seven games as if they were a seven-game playoff series, and with tonight's win it was clear that the players took his words to heart. The 'series' began with the Leafs' win against the [Senators](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/ottawa-senators?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) this past Sunday, and continued tonight as the Leafs owned the [Tampa Bay Lightning](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/tampa-bay-lightning?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com), 3-1.

This is the first time since February 21st and 26th (against Winnipeg and Philadelphia) that the Leafs have won two games in a row. The Leafs also scored the initial goal for the first time in ten games. The Bolts played the second game of a back-to-back, expending energy yesterday to clinch a playoff berth and sweep their series against the Montreal Canadiens, but also losing core parts of their team, D Victor Hedman and F Tyler Johnson, to injury. 

Two goals in the first period created a hole that the Bolts couldn't dig their way out of, one at 8:53 from [Nazem Kadri](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/71825/nazem-kadri?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) with assists by [Joakim Lindstrom](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54499/joakim-lindstrom?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) and [TJ Brennan](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/71485/tj-brennan?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com), and one at the twelve-minute mark of the frame (the game-winner) unassisted from [David Booth](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/55515/david-booth?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com).

The Kadri goal was on a beautifully choreographed power play, with sharp passes through an off-kilter Bolts PK unit who were missing two important pieces ([Johnson](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/129886/tyler-johnson?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) and [Hedman](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/71958/victor-hedman?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)). The puck went from Brennan to Lindstrom, who snapped it from the circle to find the net via Kadri's tip-in.

The game-winning goal from Booth was a sharp-angled snap shot that slid under the stick of AHL-call-up Slater Koekkoek to beat [Andrei Vasilevskiy](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/157203/andrei-vasilevskiy?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) glove side. (Edit: In the cold light of day I looked at this goal and it was a soft one. Vasy... :( )

The Bolts scored in the last few minutes of the first on a power play goal, their second in two games, with [Ryan Callahan](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54197/ryan-callahan?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) sending a wrist shot past [James Reimer](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54304/james-reimer?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com), assisted by [Ondrej Palat](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/144071/ondrej-palat?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) and Nikita Kucherov. Any momentum from this goal was lost in the scoreless second, and totally iced by [Morgan Rielly's](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/157191/morgan-rielly?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) goal (with assists from Kadri and [Jake Gardiner](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/130014/jake-gardiner?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)) that came 24 seconds into the third.

Tired or not, the Bolts' possession game remained strong, with Reimer saving an impressive 40 of 41 shots and earning a .976 SV% on the night for a well-deserved first star of the game. Vasilevskiy saved 25 of 28 shots.

This was a strange loss for the Bolts. Had the Bolts won tonight, they would've leapfrogged the [Canadiens](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/montreal-canadiens?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) by a point to win first in the Atlantic. Had the Bolts won and the [Rangers](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/new-york-rangers?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) lost, the Bolts would've been first in the East. Tonight, that was not to be.

The [Toronto Maple Leafs](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/toronto-maple-leafs?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) twitter was kind enough to Vine the three goals, so here they are:

> Nazem Kadri puts the [#Leafs](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Leafs?src=hash&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) on the board with a re-direct. [#TMLtalk](https://twitter.com/hashtag/TMLtalk?src=hash&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) [https://t.co/PKXyevWhw6](https://t.co/PKXyevWhw6?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) [April 1, 2015](https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/583061955251933184?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) 

> David Booth pots the second of the night for the [#Leafs](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Leafs?src=hash&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com). [#TMLtalk](https://twitter.com/hashtag/TMLtalk?src=hash&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) [https://t.co/SPryImliEe](https://t.co/SPryImliEe?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) [April 1, 2015](https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/583070220945866752?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) 

> Nazem Kadri to Morgan Rielly. 3-1\. [#TMLtalk](https://twitter.com/hashtag/TMLtalk?src=hash&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) [https://t.co/gGYYdaMwGK](https://t.co/gGYYdaMwGK?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) [April 1, 2015](https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/583084350926917632?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)