By Canadian Press

Kadri, Marner lead Leafs over Bruins for ninth straight home win

Feb 24, 2018 | 6:33 PM

TORONTO — Ron Hainsey scored the winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Saturday night at Air Canada Centre.

Hainsey’s one-timed a William Nylander pass past Tuuka Rask with 1:23 remaining in regulation for this fourth goal of the season. Boston challenged the play for goaltender interference but the goal stood after review.

The win moves Toronto (39-20-5) ahead of Boston (37-14-8) for the second seed in the Atlantic Division by a single point. However, the Bruins have five games in hand on the Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs also matched their franchise-best home win streak at nine games with the victory.

Nazem Kadri netted a pair for Toronto while Mitch Marner added a goal and three assists. Nylander finished with two assists and Frederik Andersen, who entered the game with a 9-1-0 record in 10 career starts against the Bruins, stopped 23 shots.

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Brad Marchand scored twice and Jake DeBrusk had the other Bruins goals. Rask made 32 saves. Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak each had two assists.

Marchand opened the scoring, taking a Pastrnak pass and beating Andersen glove-side at 6:11 of the first.

Toronto responded just over a minute later when Marner took a Nylander feed and beat a sprawling, out of position, Rask for his 16th at 7:15.

Kadri gave the Maple Leafs a 2-1 lead, on a power play, tapping in a James van Riemsdyk pass at 10:30 for his 22nd of the season.

Boston tied it 2-2 on Marchand’s second of the period. The Bruins forward took a Pastrnak feed and beat Andersen short side from in tight for his 23rd of the season at 15:02.

DeBrusk gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead at 1:55 of the second, re-directing a Ryan Spooner pass over the right shoulder of Andersen for his 12th.

Bergeron nearly doubled Boston’s lead at 3:03 of the second beating Andersen, but rang his shot off the far post.

With Charlie McAvoy serving a tripping minor, Kadri one-timed a Marner pass over the glove of Rask for his 23rd of the season with 55.9 seconds remaining in the second frame to tie it 3-3.

NOTES: Leafs C Auston Matthews missed his first game with a shoulder injury suffered in Thursday’s win over the New York Islanders. … The Maple Leafs now head out on the road for four games beginning on Monday in Tampa Bay.

Dhiren Mahiban, The Canadian Press