John Tavares hit leads to major penalty as Bruins coach stands by Zadorov in tight loss

A controversial hit involving John Tavares proved a turning point as the Boston Bruins fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a tightly contested game.

Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov was handed a five minute major penalty for boarding after hitting Tavares from behind late in the second period.

The incident immediately shifted momentum, but Boston coach Marco Sturm chose not to bench Zadorov after he served the penalty.

According to reports, Zadorov remained part of the rotation, signalling the coach’s trust in his player despite the call.

The Bruins were leading earlier in the game after Elias Lindholm opened the scoring, but the penalty proved costly.

Toronto capitalised on the power play, with Max Domi scoring shortly after to change the direction of the match.

Boston struggled to respond, finishing 0 for 4 on the power play in what became a decisive factor in the 2 to 1 result.

The Leafs gained further energy following the incident, with the physical response from their players helping to shift the tempo.