Bruins win Game 7, eliminate Maple Leafs
via NHL.com
Tuukka Rask made 32 saves, and the Boston Bruins advanced to the Eastern Conference Second Round with a 5-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the first round at TD Garden on Tuesday.
Sean Kuraly and Joakim Nordstrom each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who won the final two games of the series and will host the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 1 of the second round Thursday.
“Well I think we’ve been there before,” Bruins center Patrice Bergeron said. “I think a lot of guys, we try to rely on our experiences, try to share that with other guys. Most of the young guys were with us last year and lived it also. So I think it’s definitely a great character win for us tonight against a really good team.”
Frederik Andersen made 27 saves for the Maple Leafs, who have not won a playoff series since 2004 and were eliminated by Boston in Game 7 of the first round for the second straight season.
“I thought we played real good and carried lots of the play and executed and played the way we wanted to play,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “So it’s disappointing. I thought our series this year compared to last year, we were a way better hockey club. In the end, we weren’t rewarded.”
They said it
“We’ve got to push through this because you can’t be talking after a playoff series that you’re going home. That’s the bottom line. We’ve improved our team drastically, you’ve witnessed it. This series we were a way better team than we were a year ago, but we’re at the same point with the same result here today, and so that part is disappointing.” — Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock
“It was amazing. The fans were obviously very excited, very loud, gave us extra energy, and we were obviously feeding off that. So thanks to everyone who came and cheered us on and everyone who was watching at home.” — Bruins captain Zdeno Chara
Need to know
Toronto is 12-12 in Game 7, including 5-11 on the road, where it has lost its past six. … Boston is 15-12 in Game 7, including 14-8 at home. The Bruins have the most Game 7 wins in NHL history, passing the Montreal Canadiens (14-9) and Detroit Red Wings (14-11). … Chara tied the NHL record by playing in his 13th Game 7, joining Patrick Roy and Scott Stevens. … Bruins center David Krejci has five points (two goals, three assists) in a five-game point streak. … Boston had a power-play percentage of 43.8 percent (7-for-16), its second highest in a Stanley Cup Playoff series (44.4 percent, 1978 quarterfinals against the Chicago Blackhawks).
The @MapleLeafs have loaned defenceman Calle Rosen to the @TorontoMarlies (AHL).
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) April 24, 2019
Auston Matthews just played his second-fewest minutes of the series. In game 7. Trailing the whole way.
— Ben Ennis (@SportsnetBen) April 24, 2019