In the heart of Boston at the precipice of season’s end, the Boston Bruins found themselves teetering on the brink of defeat. Their talismanic top scorer, David Pastrnak, was languishing in a stubborn scoring slump. Yet, instead of pulling punches, their unflinching coach Jim Montgomery publicly urged Pastrnak to elevate his game in the decisive Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And boy, did Pastrnak respond to the call!
Like a maestro striking the exact chords at the perfect time, Pastrnak emerged from his slump, playing some of his best hockey. He found the back of the net on a sublime assist from Hampus Lindholm, merely 1:54 into overtime. This lightning strike led the Bruins to a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Maple Leafs in Game 7 on Saturday night, propelling them to the next round of the NHL playoffs and sparking wild celebrations around the city of Boston.
“He’s seeking to bring out the absolute best in every single player. He anticipates more, and I concur. I needed to level up,” said Pastrnak, echoing his coach’s sentiments. And level up he did, providing Pastrnak the perfect redemption for his earlier lackluster performances, having mustered only two goals and two assists during the first six games.
Coaching from the sidelines, Montgomery was thrilled with Pastrnak’s resurgence. “He was electrifying tonight,” he said, beaming with pride. Jeremy Swayman, too, pitched in with thirty match-saving stops, while Lindholm came through with the much-needed equalizer during regulation, aiding the Bruins in fending off another first-round exit after holding a 3-1 lead.
The victory over the Maple Leafs was not just a win; it was the third time in the past seven years that Boston had triumphed over their fierce rivals in Game 7 of the opening round of the playoffs. “This was our best performance in the series,” Montgomery assessed, “This was an opportunity to seize, to leave a mark as a difference-maker.”
The triumph over the Leafs secures a meeting for the Bruins with the Florida Panthers, a team that eclipsed them in a seven-game shocker in the first round last year, marring a season that witnessed the Bruins script NHL records for the most victories and points in a single season.
The Bruins resume action on Monday night in Florida, facing a surprisingly well-rested Panthers squad that shrugged off the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.
The maples leafs were not without their heroes. William Nylander found the net, and Auston Matthews provided an assist after making a comeback from a two-game hiatus, leaving the Leafs still winless in Game 7s since the 2013 conference quarterfinals, especially on the road in Boston.
Matthews, however, chose to hide the ailment that sidelined him from Games 5 and 6. “I think we possessed the potential to claw our way back into the series. It was challenging to witness two defeats from the stands. But proud to watch the guys fight and give us an opportunity,” Matthews said.
The Maple Leafs’ goalie, Ilya Samsonov, in his first start since Game 4, managed 29 saves, with James van Riemsdyk and Justin Brazeau also contributing assists.
Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe commended the effort by Matthews, saying, “He did all he could to be ready and perform, even if he was not at 100%. He wanted to be there.”
Joseph Woll, who was ruled out just before kick-off due to injuries sustained in Game 6, was replaced by Samsonov. Even though Samsonov conceded twelve goals in the first four games compared to two allowed by Woll in Toronto’s victories in Games 5 and 6, the deadlock was broken in Game 7. In the third period, Matthews caught a loose puck, slipping it to Nylander, who outsmarted Swayman for his third goal of the series.
But in a sheer show of resilience, the Bruins bounced back a minute later when Lindholm slipped a deflection past the Maple Leafs’ defense to level the score.
Amid the heated clash, the energy at TD Garden was palpable, as the Bruins’ retired captain Patrice Bergeron and Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum, and coach Joe Mazzulla graced the sidelines, each cheer evoking a deafening applause. The infectious energy coursing through the arena was mirrored on the ice, with the Bruins holding an 11-8 edge in the opening period after being subjected to a 23-3 barrage in Games 5 and 6’s first period.
