The Toronto Maple Leafs have flipped the script. After falling down 3-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series to the Boston Bruins — and looking like they would be going quietly into the offseason — the Leafs won two crucial games with their back against the wall to force a Game 7 at TD Garden on Saturday night.
The Leafs beat the Bruins 2-1 in Game 6 at home, riding a pair of William Nylander goals and another fantastic performance from former Boston College netminder Joseph Woll to force the decider.
And Tyler Bertuzzi, who was for a brief time a member of the Bruins last season, thinks his former teammates are holding their sticks a little tighter than usual.
“I think everyone's frustrated over there,” the power forward claimed after the critical victory, per The Athletic's Chris Johnston. “We've been very good defensively, kind of smothering them, and we gotta bring that to Game 7.”
Although Bertuzzi was held off the scoresheet in Game 6, he's continued to provide energy and a physical edge for the Leafs in Round 1. But it was No. 2 scorer Nylander who needed to step up with Auston Matthews on the shelf again, and step up the Swede did.
William Nylander sends series back to Boston one last time
Nylander was the hero at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, sending a shot past Jeremy Swayman in the final minute of the second period to give Toronto a 1-0 lead before sealing it with a slick breakaway tally with just two minutes left in regulation.
“It was nice to get on the board scoring two goals for sure,” Nylander said afterwards, per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. “But I think the team effort, the way we battled and competed for the entire 60 minutes, well, that was incredible for us as well. We battled and competed.”
Nylander, who missed the first three games of the series due to a still unknown ailment, carried his team to a Game 7. And that didn't escape the notice of his head coach.
“Big-time stuff,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “What you’re looking for from a player of his calibre.”
It was a terrific performance from Nylander, and right when the Leafs needed it. But Woll also deserves a ton of credit — he's been a brick wall since coming into Game 4, allowing just a single goal in each of Games 5 and 6 and giving Toronto a legitimate chance to win the series.
He made another 22 saves on Thursday night, and the only goal he conceded was with under a second left in regulation with the score 2-0. It wasn't a shutout, but it won't matter to the young netminder, who is looking forward to a series-decider in a familiar building.
“I’m very excited,” the former Boston College Eagle said about yet another Game 7 between the Bruins and Leafs. “It’s a great building to play in.”
The monumental contest has major implications for both franchises: either the Leafs will become the first team in NHL history to lose six consecutive Game 7's, or the Bruins will become the first team in NHL history to blow back to-back 3-1 series leads.
Everything is on the line between the two Original Six rivals when puck drops at TD Garden on Saturday night.
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