TORONTO — Jake DeBrusk did not the season he wanted, especially not when he has his first crack at unrestricted free agency this summer.

But there’s nothing like a good playoff run to make things all better.

DeBrusk scored 19 goals in the regular season, not bad but not what was expected after he notched 27 last season while missing a month with a broken leg.

At the moment, however, that disappointment of the regular season seems a distant memory. Through three games in this first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, DeBrusk has three goals and two assists to help the B’s to a 2-1 series lead.

He’s been noticeable beyond the points. He’s got 13 hits in the series, including seven in Boston’s 4-2 win here on Wednesday. Coach Jim Montgomery said that when DeBrusk’s habits and details are locked in, his talent can come to the forefront.

“I saw him go through four bodies (Wednesday) night. That’s when I know his competitive nature is where it needs to be,” said Montgomery. “And he’s engaged. When he’s engaged, with his talent level, he comes up with pucks. He’s at the net front on the second goal. That’s not an easy goal to corral, get it and bury it. But competitive nature got him there and his skill set took over.”

DeBrusk has had his moments in the playoffs, especially against the Leafs. In his first playoff series as a rookie in 2018, he scored six goals, including the Game 7 game-winner. He wasn’t as productive in the 2019 series, with his one goal coming in a do-or-die Game 6 in Toronto, but he did take one for the team when Nazem Kadri crosschecked him in the head and got suspended for the rest of the series.

Now he’s got it rolling again, and the intensity of the playoffs has seemingly gotten the best out of him.

“I think it’s brought it to another level,” said DeBrusk after the Scotiabank Arena practice in preparation for Saturday’s Game 4 (8 p.m.) “Obviously you try to get better and better at this time of year. It gets only harder from this point on. But I think that it’s exciting. It’s a clean slate, 0-0, and you’re playing for your life. I think it’s just matter of trying to get better and better. There’s still lots of room to improve and grow, especially 5-on-5. But at the same time, we’ve got to be ready for the response. They don’t want to go down, 3-1. It’s going to be the best game of the series.”

It can be a clean slate for him personally, as well.

“Especially toward the end of the year, I was just waiting to get to this, to be honest with you,” said DeBrusk, whose three goals have all come on the power play. “I don’t know if I took it as a clean slate that things would go well. It obviously could go the other way, because it’s not easy and it’s only going to get harder. You’ve got to stay focused and determined and understand what the goal is at hand. But, yeah, I used it as an opportunity. I think we all do. Every player wants to be in big moments, wants to have success and to continue that.”

DeBrusk has been a notoriously streaky scorer in his time in the NHL, and he appears to be on one now.

“I try to milk them out for as long as I can. I think every player does,” said DeBrusk, who has been moved to the line with David Pastrnak to open things up for the bottled-up superstar (one goal, six shots on net in the three games). “But in saying that, lots of things have to go right. Like my last goal, there’s a battle on the wall, a shot and then a rebound. It’s a team game. You need lots of things to go in your favor. But you can’t get too high or too low. I think that’s one thing at this time of year and I’ll say it the whole time. You have to stay even-keeled, even when things are going well. Because there’s a bigger task at hand instead of just worrying about yourself.”

And he doesn’t completely buy he has the Leafs’ number.

“We’ve played against these guys now three times, three playoff series and there’s been some big-time battles in them obviously and there’s been different players and different things, so I wouldn’t say there’s anything consistent,” he said. “I think the makeup of their team is different than before, which felt forever ago. But it kind of reminds you of certain things when you come and you play in the playoffs against them no matter what. I think it’s one of those things where my first playoff series obviously gave me confidence. But in saying that, there’s different weapons and different, so I don’t look into it too much. But I’ll try anything I can to keep it going.”

Veteran move

Pat Maroon didn’t want to talk about Max Domi’s bump of Jeremy Swayman, but the way he went after the wayward Leaf – and let is teammates know what happened — was appreciated by his coach.

“It puts everyone on better awareness, more alertness,” said Montgomery. “We have to be aware of everything. There’s a reason why he understands the game within the game. (Brad Marchand’s) great at that, too, and that’s something that he brings, along with his play.”

Pasta watch

The B’s are up 2-1 in the series, but they’ve yet to see Pastrnak take control of a game. He has one goal, albeit a spectacular one in Game 2, and a pair of assists.

“I thought in the first period, Pastrnak could have had two or three goals. One hit their defenseman that was going in, one he puts over the crossbar. He’s getting his looks,” said Montgomery. “That line with DeBrusk and Pavel (Zacha), I’m not going to talk about Pastrnak in particular, but that line, the more O-zone time they can get, the better it’s going to be for us.”

Loose pucks

Justin Brazeau and Derek Forbort practiced with the team Friday. Montgomery said Forbort’s a little ahead of Brazeau but neither are expected to be available for Game 4. … Danton Heinen did not practice on Friday but Montgomery said it was due to maintenance. Montgomery on his goaltending decision for Game 4: “We’re following the plan that we had set in place.”

Considering the team has never actually divulged that plan, that could mean anything. But Jeremy Swayman is 6-0 with a 1.31 GAA and .959 save percentage over the last two years against the Leafs. Just saying.