Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak scored the overtime winner in Game 7 on Saturday night to secure a 2-1 victory and eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs from the playoffs.
The dramatic goal sets Boston up for a second-round series with the Florida Panthers.
Pastrnak's heroics came at the 1:54 mark of the extra frame as he dashed past Toronto's back line and converted a bank pass off the end boards from teammate Hampus Lindholm.
"Excitement. But also a little sense of relief as well," Pastrnak said after scoring, per Boston Sports Journal's Joe Haggerty. "I was just really proud of how this group really stuck together throughout the series."
Boston head coach Jim Montgomery called out Pastrnak following the club's Game 6 loss, saying its leading scorer needs to step up. He entered Saturday's game with two goals and two assists in the series after a 110-point regular season.
"I told him, 'If I were the coach and you were me, I would say the same thing,'" Pastrnak said, according to Bruins Daily. "I had no problem with him saying that, he's trying to bring the best out of every single player."
The Bruins have now eliminated the Maple Leafs from the playoffs four times since 2013. Each series has ended with a Boston win on home ice in Game 7.
Toronto broke the scoreless tie midway through the third period on a goal from William Nylander but surrendered the equalizer 1:21 later. Game 7 was the fourth one-goal game of the series and the third in a row.
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman had an outstanding game once again, turning aside 30 of 31 shots he faced in the series-deciding victory. The young netminder owned a dazzling .950 save percentage in the first round.
"Swayman was our best player in the series and it wasn't even close," Montgomery said, according to NBC Sports Boston's Ty Anderson.
Auston Matthews returned to the lineup after missing two games with an undisclosed injury and illness. He registered an assist in 17:35 played and declined to divulge postgame on what specifically kept him sidelined.
Ilya Samsonov earned the start in goal after the Leafs announced Joseph Woll was injured in Game 6.
The Maple Leafs have now lost six consecutive Game 7s dating back to 2013. They also dropped the decisive Game 5 in their play-in series during the bubble postseason in 2020.
"Obviously, the series was very close. Thinnest of margins you can get, Game 7 overtime," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Obviously, very disappointing to not come out on the right side of it."
He added: "It's a tough way to go."
Toronto has scored one goal or fewer in in five consecutive winner-take-all games, according to Sportsnet Stats. The Leafs' offense was ice-cold throughout the entire series, managing only 12 tallies after ranking second in goals for during the regular season.
"When teams play the Leafs, they set up the game for the Leafs to beat themselves," Keefe said, crediting Boston's defensive structure.
The Bruins' series with the Panthers begins Monday in Florida. The two clubs met in the first round of last year's playoffs, with the Panthers eliminating Boston after trailing 3-1.
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