Toronto Maple Leafs 4-7 Boston Bruins
Boston wins series 4-3
The entire city of Boston is off their feet courtesy of @JDebrusk.
Can this #Game7 get any better!? #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/GgrngjVSyR
— NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2018
After Toronto clawed their way back into the series after being down three games to one, forcing a Game 7. Wednesday night was set to be a great match-up at TD Garden with a combined 37 goals being scored in the first six games.
Patrick Marleau was the sole source of Leafs offence in the first period scoring on the powerplay two minutes into the period off of a Jake Gardiner point shot. Four minutes later he roofed one over Tuukka Rask‘s glove side shoulder.
Jake DeBrusk scored his fourth career playoff goal in between the Marleau goals, and Danton Heinen netted his first career playoff goal three minutes after a Leafs turnover in their own zone to tie the game at two.
The offence did not stop there as Patrice Bergeron scored with 37 seconds left in the first period after Kevan Miller banked a pass off the boards behind the net to make it 3-2 Boston headed into the second.
Travis Dermott scored his first, two minutes into the second period after his original shot was blocked he took the rebound and rifled it home. Dermott became the first Leafs defender to score a goal in 11 games.
Four minutes later Kasperi Kapanen was finally able to bury one on a breakaway after having a rough series so far with scoring chances. Kapanen sped past Brad Marchand and showed great patience on a beautiful deke on Rask shorthanded. It was the first Leafs shorthanded goal in a Game 7 since 1964.
One minute into the third period the Bruins would tie the game three seconds into a 4 on 4. After winning the face-off, the puck made its way to Torey Krug who blasted a shot from the point that made its way uncontested to the back of the net.
Four minutes after the Bruins tied it they took the lead. On another 4 on 4, DeBrusk scored again, this time his fifth goal in his first postseason on a beautiful play where he broke out up the wing and showed his quick release by sneaking one between the five-hole of Frederik Andersen while being taken down by Jake Gardiner.
Another costly turnover put the nail in the coffin for the Leafs. Gardiner turned the puck over again behind his net, setting up David Pastrnak wide open in front for his fifth goal of the playoffs and a 6-4 Boston lead with nine minutes left in the game.
The @NHLBruins are the first team in NHL history to overcome three deficits of at least one goal to win a #Game7 in regulation. #NHLStats #TORvsBOS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/bVoJjkxVuM
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 26, 2018
Toronto fought their way back into the series after being dominated in the first four games. Ultimately it was not enough to overcome a strong Bruins team that got a lot of production out its young stars. Boston moves on to play a rested Tampa Bay Lightning team which will prove to be a tough task in the second round.
Boston will need better performances from their goaltender in the second round but, if they get the same type of production out their young guns, they could be in for another exciting and long series.
