Game 7

Brad Marchand said immediately after the Boston Bruins lost Game 6 in Toronto that, if you told him before the 2023-24 NHL season that the Bruins would have a Game 7 on home ice, “we’d take that all day.”

Here we are.

There is drama on both sides of this Game 7, as Auston Matthews (knee) made the trip, as did third goaltender (and very brief Bruins property) Martin Jones. There is question as to whether Joseph Woll (whose play has rivaled Jeremy Swayman’s since taking over for Ilya Samsonov) can go.

We’re about to get a major indicator when the Leafs and Bruins take the ice for pregame warmups.

A-I image by Daryl Vautour

Pregame warmups

Samsonov and Swayman take the starter’s shots. Martin Jones is Toronto’s backup goalie.

Tie Domi runs through the line drills between Tyler Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner, as it seems he and not Matthews is the center for that line tonight. It has gone extremely well for Domi, especially in the faceoff circle where he has dominated Boston centers.

Danton Heinen remains out for Boston.

FIRST PERIOD

Bruins have early answers and spark moving the puck. Charlie Coyle with a whip-around wrister that Samsonov gets with the goalie pad.

Joel Edmundson catches David Pastrnak curling out from behind the Toronto net with a thunderous hit.

Awkward collision a minute later between Matthew and Justin Brazeau, who seems to hobble off the ice. But Brazeau returned next shift to put a big hit on David Kampf.

The Bruins’ smart puck transition and heady cycling gave them a 10-4 shots advantage that has been rare in this series, even in stretches when they’ve outplayed Toronto. But the Leafs started rimming the puck hard around the boards in the Boston end, copycating the Florida Panthers’ strategy in last year’s series.

To this point, we had not seen this tactic but in short spurts from the Leafs, but it was an effective tactic late in the first period and helped Toronto balance the books somewhat, as the first period ended with the Bruins enjoying less of a shots advantage at 11-8.

Now the question is, will the Bruins be able to get better-quality execution when they do get shots on Samsonov. It seems the Bruins were gripping their sticks pretty hard when those opportunities were earned in the opening period, and should Toronto take a lead in this game, that doubt only amplifies.

SECOND PERIOD

Two penalties, one for each team, in the opening five minutes of the period.

Nothing doing with the man advantage, but after the Bruins narrowly escape harm off a McAvoy-misses-Maroon icing, Pastrnak weaves across the Toronto zone and draws a penalty on Matthew Knies, who scored the overtime winner here in Game 5,

Bruins pass up shots, Conor Dewar breakaway, save Swayman (and back up the Brinks truck). As the penalty expires, Knies gets a sort-of rushed breakaway out of the box, Shattenkirk with a huge pokecheck and Knies crashes, taking out Swayman. No harm.

Since the opening period when the Bruins held a 10-4 shots advantage, Toronto has outshot Boston 16-5. The Bruins are finally pushing back late in the second period, and Mason Lohrei has made some of the headier puck plays on the attack.

Toronto with massive pressure, but Coyle with a big steal. Bruins get a look, Lohrei clean shot, save Samsonov, his biggest of the game.

Lindholm misses his target and icing with 1.6 seconds to go in the second period. Toronto sets up Matthews for the shot, but Coyle forces the faceoff into the air and Matthews has to bat at it. The rebound goes to Domi – Swayman snares his shot, which goes up on the board after time runs out.

Bruins, their late-period surge notwithstanding, are playing with fire.

Shots through two: 22-18 Toronto.

Scoreless hockey game.

THIRD PERIOD

Carlo controls out of a chaotic moment but gets tripped up by Bertuzzi – no call – and William Nylander scores the first goal of Game 7 at 9:01 of the third period.

Just prior to, Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk gave the Bruins two of their better looks on a very solid Samsonov.

But the Bruins tie it on a little flip shot by Hampus Lindholm from the left circle with 9:38 remaining in regulation, setting the Garden ablaze.

Just when it couldn’t get any stranger. 1-1.

Bruins have improved on the attack thanks to holding onto pucks and improvising where the blueprint wasn’t working. Shots are 28-28, and the last two knockdowns in this game are Coyle on Benoit and Geekie on Rielly.

Two Boston turnovers coming out of their zone, the first a decision to make short passes in lieu of clearing the zone, then second by Wotherspoon whose outlet pass was read. Nylander centered, Swayman pounced, the Bruins survived.

Prior to, they were playing on their front foot, causing the Maple Leafs the most trouble they’ve had in their end the entire series.

We go to overtime 1-1. Next goal wins.

Shots through regulation: 29-28 Leafs.

FOURTH PERIOD

Just a word about James van Riemsdyk: This is the best I’ve seen him play since much earlier in his career. JVR has puck hunted intelligently and has caused the Toronto defensemen concern with his reads and his decisions when he recovers the puck. If the Bruins pull this out, don’t be surprised if JVR is involved in the winning play.

ONE GOAL

Pastrnak swoops in past an unsuspecting Rielly and dekes Samsonov, backhanding the series winner at 1:54 of sudden death.

Bruins off to Florida Monday night.

Party safely.