from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

The Bruins took their first giant step in pursuit of the Stanley Cup Thursday night, forged an early 1-0 lead, and spent the rest of the evening stringing together a vast array of vaudevillian slip-and-falls, most of them by their own doing, that drew few chuckles from the sellout crowd of 17,565.

Humor is a tough art, you know?

After finishing the regular season with 49 wins, their game most nights characterized by deft puck management and smart play in all three zones of the ice, the Bruins suddenly, and uncharacteristically, summoned their late-1960s California Golden Seals from within.

“Some of it was certainly operator error,” said Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, following the 4-1 loss to the Leafs. “On the back end, we have some younger guys that are still sorting their way through playoffs — two guys [Connor Clifton and Brandon Carlo] who are playing their first game. [Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy] haven’t been around that long, so . . . there could have been some nerves.”

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