Pastrnak scores in overtime, Bruins hold off Maple Leafs in Game 7

Bruins

Jeremy Swayman was once again lights out, stopping 28 of the 29 shots he faced on Saturday.

Nervous energy surrounded Boston ahead of Saturday night’s Game 7, as the Bruins hoped to avoid a 3-1 series lead for the second straight season.

However, the moment the final horn sounded, all that energy turned into deafening cheers. David Pastrnak, who was called upon by Jim Montgomery to play better after Game 6, scored the dagger in overtime, and Boston clinched the series with a 2-1 victory on Saturday.

Jeremy Swayman played lights out between the pipes, stopping 28 of the 29 shots he faced; he was the best goalie in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, both in terms of save percentage and goals against average.

The Bruins came out on fire to start the first period, a welcome change from their previous two games. Boston recorded just three shots on goal in the first period of Games 5 and 6 combined. On Saturday, he generated 11 shots on goal in the first period.

None of those shots led to a first goal, but they were key in not only sparking energy off the bench, but also testing Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov. The Maple Leafs benched Samsonov earlier in the series in favor of Joseph Woll, who played much better in Games 5 and 6 than Samsonov played in the first.

However, an injury at some point in Game 6 kept Woll out of Saturday’s Game 7, so Samsonov reclaimed his spot between the pipes. To his credit, Samsonov handled the sudden change well and stopped 29 of 31 shots in the win-or-go-home contest.

While Boston controlled much of the first period, the second was entirely Maple Leafs. Toronto peppered Swayman with shots, including several A-grade chances and two breakaways. However, none of the Maple Leafs could break through the All-Star goaltender.

William Nylander opened the scoring for Toronto midway through the third period, scoring his third goal in two games. Hampus Lindholm, conversely, scored just three goals all season before equalizing less than two minutes later.

The two teams remained deadlocked after the goal explosion, and 60 minutes was not enough to resolve the issue.

The Bruins came out a little more desperate during overtime and picked up the game-winner a few minutes later.

Fast turnaround time

Boston doesn’t have much time to dwell on the series win. He will travel to Florida for the first game of his second-round series against the Panthers on Monday.