Marchand breaks team playoff goals mark, Bruins beat Maple Leafs 3-1 to move within win of advancing

TORONTO (AP) — Brad Marchand broke the Boston playoff goals record with his 56th and the Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in Game 4 on Saturday night to move within a victory of advancing to the second round.

Marchand also had an assist, James van Riemsdyk and David Pastrnak scored and Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves. Boston can wrap up the series Tuesday night at home.

“Guys were committed,” Marchand said about the Bruins’ defensive structure. “We played tight. Guys did a great job getting back and getting sticks in lanes and making it tough on them.”

Mitch Marner scored for Toronto, while Auston Matthews, the NHL goals leader in the regular season with 69, sat out the third period because of an illness that forced him to miss practice Friday.

“He’s been giving us everything,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Ultimately, the doctors pulled him.”

Toronto forward William Nylander played after missing the first three games of the series because of an undisclosed injury.

Ilya Samsonov started in goal for the Maple Leafs, stopping 14 of 17 shots in the first two periods, and Joseph Woll made five saves in the third.

“Guys are trying. It’s a good team over there that’s limiting us,” Keefe said. “You can question a lot of things … can’t question the effort.”

Van Riemsdyk, who played in Toronto from 2013-18, opened the scoring with 4:51 left in the first period. Maple Leafs tough guy Ryan Reaves had the puck in the defensive zone, but had it knocked off his stick by Bruins rookie defenseman Mason Lohrei. Van Riemsdyk jumped on the miscue and outwaited Samsonov.

Toronto winger Max Domi took a cross-checking penalty seven minutes into the second, and Boston’s red-hot power play took advantage with its sixth goal in four games when Marchand one-timed his second of the playoffs — and the 56th of his postseason career to pass Cam Neely for the top spot in franchise history — at 8:20.

The goal was Marchand’s 12th in the playoffs at Air Canada Centre/Scotiabank Arena to tie Bryan Trottier for the most by a visiting player at an opposing arena in NHL history. Trottier scored 12 times in the postseason at Washington’s Capital Centre.

Frustration started to creep onto the Toronto bench as the period progressed, with Matthews and Marner getting into an animated discussion. Nylander was caught on camera muttering to himself before Marner slammed his gloves.

“We’re grown men,” Marner said. “Just a little bit off page there. We’re not yet yelling at each other because we hate each other … we talked about it after. We’re just trying to make a play.”

The Bruins, who topped Toronto in seven games in the opening round in 2013, ’18 and ’19, made it 3-0 with 42 seconds left in the second on Pastrnak’s goal.

Marner scored at 5:43 of the third.

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, top front right, reacts on the bench with, from bottom left to right, Calle Jarnkrok, Pontus Holmberg and Ryan Reaves during third-period action against the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' David Kampf (64) battles with Boston Bruins' Pavel Zacha (18) and Brandon Carlo (25) during second-period action in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) falls over Mason Lohrei (6) during the third period in Game 4 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Bruins' James van Riemsdyk, center, celebrates his goal as Toronto Maple Leafs' Joel Edmundson (20) and TJ Brodie (78) react during the first period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner (16) scores on Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman during the third period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand (63) checks Toronto Maple Leafs' Tyler Bertuzzi (59) during first-period action in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov, right, makes a save as Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand (63) looks for a rebound during second-period action in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner (16) is stopped by Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) as Bruins' David Pastrnak (88) and Pavel Zacha (18) defend during the first period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' John Tavares (91) takes an elbow from Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand (63) during first-period action in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand (63) celebrates after his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with Charlie McAvoy (73) during second-period action in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, left, and goaltender Linus Ullmark, right, celebrate after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, left, and goaltender Linus Ullmark, right, celebrate after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

MALMO, Sweden (AP) — A Dutch public broadcaster reacted angrily after the Netherlands’ contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from the competition hours before Saturday’s final over a backstage incident that is being investigated by police.

The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, said Swedish police were investigating “a complaint made by a female member of the production crew” about Joost Klein, and it would not be appropriate for him to participate while the legal process was underway.

Klein had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday in the Swedish city of Malmo, and organizers had said they were investigating an “incident.” Though rumors had been flying the incident was connected to Israel’s delegation, organizers said the incident “did not involve any other performer or delegation member.”

It was unclear whether Klein was still in Malmo on Saturday.

Such a last-minute disqualification is unprecedented in the 68-year history of Eurovision, although countries have boycotted the event and in some cases been expelled — including Russia, kicked out after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTOS, one of dozens of public broadcasters that collectively fund and broadcast the contest, said it “finds the disqualification disproportionate and is shocked by the decision.”

“We deeply regret this and will come back to this later,” it said in a statement.

The 26-year-old Dutch singer and rapper had been a bookies’ favorite, as well as a fan favorite, with his song “Europapa,” an upbeat Euro-techno ode to the continent that is also a tribute to Klein’s parents who died when he was a child.

The competition that pits nations against one another for pop music glory has already been marked by division over the inclusion of Israel. It has attracted large protests from Palestinians and their supporters, who say Israel should be excluded because of its conduct of the war against Hamas.

Joost Klein of Netherlands arrives on stage for the introducing of the artists at the dress rehearsal for the final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 10, 2024. Klein's performance was cancelled for unknown reasons, he was supposed to perform before Israel. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

FILE - Joost Klein of Netherlands arrives on stage for the introducing of the artists at the dress rehearsal for the final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 10, 2024. Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was dramatically booted out by organizers over a backstage incident. He had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday, and contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union said it was investigating an “incident.” (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)