The Toronto Maple Leafs are out of the NHL playoffs in the first round, after losing to the hometown Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime of Game 7 on Saturday night.
David Pastrnak scored at 1:54 of the extra period as Boston downed Toronto to advance to the second round against the Florida Panthers.
“Huge moment,” said Pastrnak, who scored his fourth goal of the playoffs after being called out by head coach Jim Montgomery after Game 6. “A little relief, as well. Couldn’t be more proud of ourselves.”
Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves for Boston.
Hampus Lindholm scored in regulation, and added an assist on the winner for the Bruins, which nearly blew another 3-1 series lead after losing out to the Panthers at the same stage of the post-season last spring.
WINNER WINNER PASTA FOR DINNER!!!! 🍝 <a href=”https://t.co/gmLc3kOw3y”>pic.twitter.com/gmLc3kOw3y</a>
—@NHLBruins
William Nylander scored the only goal for the Leafs in the third period.
Nylander took a pass from star sniper Auston Matthews with 10:59 left in regulation and scored his third of the series after Tyler Bertuzzi stole the puck from Bruins defenceman Brandon Carlo to give Toronto a 1-0 lead in a tight, defensive affair.
But Lindholm tied it soon after with a shortside shot on Ilya Samsonov after some intense pressure around Toronto’s crease to set a raucous TD Garden in Boston alight before the teams took it to extra time.
Pastrnak clinched the series after Lindholm fired a puck off the end boards. The winger won a race and then deked Samsonov to the ice to send the Leafs home.
“We were right there,” Matthews said. “It didn’t go our way.”
Samsonov started in net for Toronto and stopped 29 shots after Joseph Woll, who was outstanding in Games 5 and 6 to help drag his team back into the series, suffered an injury late in the third period of Thursday’s victory that pushed the Original Six matchup into Game 7.
Matthews returned to the lineup after getting pulled from Game 4 with an illness and then missing the last two contests with his team facing elimination.
Toronto battled back to force Game 7 despite being without the ailing Matthews for a pair of 2-1 victories, including an overtime road triumph in Game 5.
“Very difficult not to be moving on,” Leafs captain John Tavares said. “Especially with the type of team that we have, the type of character that’s in here and just the belief in the locker room.”
The Leafs, who won a post-season series for the first time in two decades last spring, were also minus Nylander for the first three contests with a migraine headache that blurred his vision.
“It’s hard to explain exactly what it is,” Nylander said. “My vision goes. I can’t really see out of my eyes, it gets messed up. It’s hard to play.”
The Swede took two games to get his legs before putting up a pair of goals Thursday that helped tie the series and send the teams back to Boston. Despite the Leafs’ valiant attempt, Toronto has now lost six straight Game 7s, including four straight to the Bruins (2013, 2018, 2019 and 2024).
There will also be questions about the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe after a fourth opening-round exit in five seasons, along with star winger Marner, who has one year left on his contract and can sign an extension July 1.
“You don’t love the hole that we dug ourselves. That’s a big reason why we’re here, but loved the fight of our team,” Keefe said after the game.
“It’s a tough one to lose, tough way to go.”
The Bruins will take on the well-rested Panthers in the second round in South Florida beginning Monday at 8 p.m. ET.
