Swayman shaky, third-period collapse, and more: 3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost 5-4 in OT to Toronto Maple Leafs

The Boston Bruins blew a 3-1 third-period lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at TD Garden, losing 5-4 in overtime. Mitch Marner scored with 52 seconds left in the extra frame to complete Toronto's comeback.

David Pastrnak scored twice for the Boston Bruins, with Morgan Geekie (PPG) and captain Brad Marchand (PPG) adding the other tallies. Meanwhile, Marner had two goals of his own, with Morgan Rielly, Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg also scoring for the Maple Leafs.

So, let’s take a look at the three key reasons why the Bruins dropped a tough overtime decision to the Maple Leafs:

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Three reasons why the Boston Bruins lost in OT to the Toronto Maple Leafs

#3 Non-existent fourth line

The Boston Bruins essentially rolled out three lines against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The trio of Trent Frederic, Mark Kastelic and Oliver Wahlstrom barely hit the ice.

Frederic played 5:18, Kastelic 7:39 and Wahlstrom 5:45. That won’t cut it for a team looking to make the playoffs this season, as the Bruins need consistent contributions up and down the lineup.

Tuesday night’s non-existent fourth line overburdened the Bruins' other three lines, explaining why the Bruins ran out of gas in the third period.

#2 Third-period collapse

The Boston Bruins entered the third period with a 3-1 lead, but the Toronto Maple Leafs poured on the pressure, leading them to give up their lead. Despite getting a huge goal from David Pastrnak to reclaim the lead, the Bruins couldn't hold on.

With the net empty, Pontus Holmberg got his sixth of the season, the equalizer, with less than a minute remaining.

In overtime, the Leafs took over most of the sequence, leading to the eventual game-winner. In the replay, Bruins’ defenseman Mason Lohrei was completely gassed, unable to catch up to Mitch Marner, who beat Jeremy Swayman to end the game.

#1 Swayman shaky

Jeremy Swayman didn't have his best outing for the Boston Bruins, giving up five goals on 29 shots. Despite making some crucial saves in the third period, like a point-blank stop on John Tavares, Swayman couldn't hold the fort down the stretch.

However, in overtime, Swayman misplayed the Marner breakaway, allowing the Leafs forward to deke him out and score the winner.

Here’s a look at the goal:

The replay showed how Swayman attempted to sprawl out in hopes of catching Marner with his left pad. However, he was completely beaten as Marner slid the puck into the back of the net.

The Bruins will look to regroup before taking on the New York Islanders at home on Thursday night.