Saturday night was the Bruins’ sixth game in nine days, and the first at TD Garden after their five-game road trip. Friday’s 4-1 win at Buffalo included four unanswered tallies, creating some momentum into the battle with Toronto.

“I’d like to call every game a must-win game,” Claude Julien said pregame. “Last night was a good win for us and something to build on. We’re going to need to do the same thing against this Leafs’ team.”

That they did.

At 9-11-2 overall at TD Garden, only four of the other 31 NHL teams had fewer home wins coming into Saturday night. By the end, Boston was once again within .500 at home at 10-11-2.

Jonas Gustavsson backboned Friday’s win. Tuukka Rask was back in net Saturday with his lifetime 13-3-1 and 1.80 GAA vs. Toronto.

Last week, the Bruins twice coughed up third period leads in eventual losses to the Rangers and Flyers. Saturday night they twice coughed up one-goal leads until Brad Marchand took over in the third period with the game deadlocked at 2-2.

Here’s what we learned as Marchand had a goal called back, then scored the game-winner – all while Torey Krug made the game-saving save in Rask’s crease moments before Marchand’s heroics.

Marchand’s first goal challenged by Mike Babcock

At 7:23 of the third period with the game deadlocked at 2-2, Marchand and Patrice Bergeron broke in 2 on 1 with Marchand depositing the backhand pass behind James Reimer. The play withstood an offside challenge by Leafs’ coach Mike Babcock. Replay showed it was offside by a puck-width.

Krug becomes the “goalie type”

“My brother was the street hockey goalie,” Krug mused postgame. “So I never had to get in net by any means. I was never the goalie type.”

With just over three minutes left, Rask scooted to his right faceoff circle to intercept the puck from a streaking Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau. Rask lost the race and hung out to dry, Torey Krug was left to guard an open net. He took a Parenteau shot to the mid section to keep the game even until Marchand’s heroics.

“[He] put himself in front of a puck there, and there wasn’t much margin for error tonight,” Julien said. “You always fear that one little bad break is going to end up in your net. But Torey made sure that didn’t happen.”

“You know we probably wouldn’t have scored there,” Marchand offered, “if he didn’t make that save. He sacrificed his body and you know he’s the one who put his face in front of the puck and made a big save and ultimately we won because of that.”

Marchand’s “second” goal counts

With 47 seconds left, Marchand intercepted a Leafs’ pass and drilled one past Jonathan Bernier for the game winner. It was Marchand’s first goal in 12 games dating back to December 14.

“It felt pretty good,” Marchand said postgame. “I’m not going to lie. It’s been a little while, and it was frustrating to have that one called back.”

“It was nice to see him score that winner, even after he got the other one taken away. And it was the right call,” Julien added about Marchand. “I guess he got rewarded at the end and gave us a win that I thought we really deserved tonight.”

Bergeron’s play overshadowed

The stands were still filling up as the Patriots’ game extended into the Bruins’ first faceoff when just 45 ticks into the game, Boston’s assistant captain tallied his 16th to pass Loui Eriksson and Brad Marchand at 15 each.

Then just 39 ticks into the second period, Bergeron struck again, deflecting a Zdeno Chara shot past James Reimer to regain the lead, 2-1, for his 17th

PK is PerfeKt again

Friday night, Boston’s penalty killing units were a perfect 4-for-4 in Buffalo. Ditto Saturday against Toronto after pitching another shutout, going 5-for-5 to extend the streak to 16 straight kills. They have allowed just two power-play goals in their last 50 times shorthanded, a 96-percent proficiency.

Marchand back on the penalty pine

Marchand went four games — after his three-game suspension was served — without a penalty. Could it be we were witnessing a rebranded Marchand?

Three minutes into Saturday’s game, he and Jake Gardiner got into a hi-sticking affair with matching penalties. Then at 17:20, Marchand was again whistled for hi-sticking.

Calendar quirks

After playing six games in nine days, the team’s next five are over a 17-day stretch.

A Class Act

On Saturday, the Bruins announced that the Jacobs Family, the Boston Bruins, the Boston Bruins Foundation and TD Garden pledged a minimum donation of $200,000 to help support Boston Pride forward Denna Laing. Laing sustained a significant spinal injury during the Outdoor Women’s Classic at Gillette Stadium on December 31.

“Over the past few weeks our organization has gotten to know Denna and her family, and we have all been inspired by their positive attitudes and Denna’s fighting spirit,” said CEO for Delaware North’s Boston Holdings Charlie Jacobs. “As leaders in the New England hockey community, we want to help with Denna’s recovery and rehab and this is our first step in what will be continuing support for the Laing family.”

Individuals who are interested in donating directly to Laing’s fund should visit dennalaing.org. For more information, visit bostonbruins.com.