The Maple Leafs overcame an early 4-1 deficit to beat the Bruins 11-8 on Thursday night.

The Maple Leaf’s got off to a on ominous start. Only 3 minutes into the game, they were called for two many men on the ice. It took just six more seconds for Frank Plati to set up Dan O’Connor for one of 4 Bruins Power Play goals of the evening.  One minute later, O’Connor stuck again. This time he was helped by Mark Moroso in addition to Frank Plati.

The Maple Leafs made it 2-1 when Michael Brewster tallied his fourth goal of the season, assisted by Brian Martin. But it took only 10 seconds for the O’Connor-Plati combo answer back, giving the Bruin’s assistant captain a natural hat trick to begin the night. So six minute into the game, and four goals (3-1) on the board, it looked like it would be a long night for the two goalies (not to mention scorekeeper Adam Thibault). But both goalies adjusted and turned away every shot for almost another full period of quality hockey.

The scoring faucet opened up in the mid-second period, though. Pete Obersheimer was in the box, when the Bruin’s 9-5 punch landed again. 4-1 B’s, with O’Connor being the triggerman for each of the night’s goals. The Maple Leaf’s Kyle Stevenson must have seen this as  a challenge. The next two goals were his, identically assisted by Sam Toso and Brian Martin.  The Leafs were awake and moving the puck up the ice aggressively. The Bruins managed to hold them in check, keeping the score 4-3 for another three minutes, before the dam broke…

At 5:49 of the second, the Leaf’s opened a barrage of four goals in just 1:05 of gametime.  First, Sam Toso took a pass from David Beile, and tied the game at four. Tim Gardner and Brian Martin, helped Stevenson on the next two, with Kyle picking corners just over Bruin’s goalie Tim Driscoll’s shoulders. Already five assists deep on the night, Brian Martin finally got a goal of his own to make it 7-4. With 20 minutes left in the game, the Bruins took a time out to try to right the ship.

At first it looked like they got the break they needed to get back into the game. On a power play, O’Connor fed captain Dan Agnew for a score in less than an improbable four seconds from the drop of the face-off. But the Maple Leaf answer right back only 18 seconds later when Stevenson scored again.  Even after a score late in the second by Tim Power, the Bruins were down 8-6 entering the final period.

The teams seesawed back and forth in the third, splitting 17 shots, and the Leafs adding three more goals to the Bruin’s two. When the dust settled, 19 goals were on the board: 11 for the Maple Leaf’s, 8 for the Bruins.

Stevenson finished 6-0-6, largely assisted by Martin (1-6-7), and Toso (2-3-5) for the bulk of the night’s damage.

For the Bruins, O’Connor went 4-2-6. Plati had 4 helpers. Agnew, Yemma, McGuire, and Donovan also added goals.