BOSTON (AP) — With the Boston Bruins' season on the brink and the team's leading scorer in a scoring slump, coach Jim Montgomery announced that David Pastrnak will not be available in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he did not hesitate to publicly challenge himself to further his achievements.
It helped bring out his best hockey at the perfect moment.
Pastrnak scored on a feed from Hampus Lindholm 1:54 into overtime, and the Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 2-1 in Game 7 on Saturday night, clinching a first-round series and advancing to the NHL playoffs.
“He tries to get the best out of each player. He expects even more,” Pastrnak said. “He needs to be better, he admitted.”
It was redemption for Pastrnak, who entered the night with two goals and two assists through his first six games.
“I thought he was dynamic tonight,” Montgomery said.
Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves and Lindholm scored the regulation-tying goal, giving the Bruins a 3-1 lead and avoiding a second straight first-round series loss. They have defeated the rival Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs three times in the past seven years.
“This was the best game of the series,” Montgomery said. “This was an opportunity to seize this moment and make a difference.”
Boston will face the Florida Panthers. The Florida Panthers upset the Bruins in seven games in the first round last year, ruining a season that set NHL records for most wins and most points scored in a season. Game 1 is scheduled for Monday night in Florida. The Panthers have been rested since Tuesday, when they eliminated Tampa Bay in five games.
William Nylander scored and Auston Matthews had an assist for the Maple Leafs, who returned from a two-game absence and are now 0-6 in Game 7 since the 2013 conference quarterfinals. Both of those games were played in Boston, where they were 0-4 on the road. Matthews missed Games 5 and 6 due to an undisclosed illness.
He did not elaborate on what drove him away.
“I don’t think there was any doubt that we could get this far and get back in the series,” Matthews said. “It was really tough to watch those two games. But I'm really proud of how they fought, fought back and gave themselves a chance.”
Ilya Samsonov started in goal for the first time since Game 4 and finished with 29 saves. James van Riemsdyk and Justin Brazeau also recorded assists.
“It's tough to lose. It's a tough road,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
He appreciated the effort Matthews made to get on the ice.
“He did everything he could to prepare and play less than 100 percent,” Keefe said. “He wanted to be there.”
Samsonov replaced Joseph Woll, who was sidelined before the game after the team announced he was injured in Game 6.
Samsonov conceded 12 goals in the first four matches. Woll stepped in and allowed just two runs in Toronto's Game 5 and Game 6 wins.
The Maple Leafs scored their third point of the series at 9:01 of the third period when Tyler Bertuzzi took a spilled puck that was mishandled in the zone, and Matthews pushed it back to a cutting Nylander, who beat Swayman for his third point of the series. He broke his scoring slump.
However, the Bruins tied the score at 1-all a little more than a minute later when Lindholm hit a ball that bounced off the front of the net.
The Bruins had plenty of talismans at TD Garden for Game 7.
Retired captain Patrice Bergeron waved a Bruins flag before the game. Celtics star Jayson Tatum and coach Joe Mazzula were also in attendance, appearing on a video screen and drawing loud cheers.
The excess energy in the building ended up in the ice.
The Bruins were on the offensive early, holding an 11-8 lead through the first 20 minutes after trailing 23-3 in the first period of Games 5 and 6.
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