Once again, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins will battle in game seven. Once again, the battleground will be TD Gardens in Boston.
The game is set for Saturday, May 4th, at 8 pm Eastern. The Bruins are attempting to prevent themselves from blowing a 3-1 series lead for the second consecutive season. The Maple Leafs will look to overcome the ghosts of 2013, 2018, and 2019, where each time they fell in 7 games to the Bruins.
It should be noted that the Maple Leafs 2023 broke a 19-year streak of failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs. The Maple Leafs have been shorthanded for the majority of the series but haven’t given up. Game six saw heroics from players such as William Nylander and Joseph Woll, and they needed others to step up.
For both teams, this game could potentially have franchise-altering consequences. Both teams potentially have head coaches who could be on the hot seat with a first-round exit. Both teams need to win this game to overcome past demons.
Boston Bruins Have Massive Problems
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The Boston Bruins have had a massive disappearing act from several key players. David Pastrnak was called out for having a massively disappointing postseason following another impressive regular season. Brad Marchand appeared to have the upper hand mentally earlier in the series but has been quiet since then.
Goaltender Jeremy Swayman has been the only reason Boston has been close to finishing this series. He has been dominant in every game that he’s started this series. He needs some help from the rest of the team as since going up 3-1, there’s been some seriously disappointing performances.
This isn’t new territory for Boston either. They blew a 3-1 lead in 2023 to the Florida Panthers. This was after winning the President’s Trophy and setting records for the 2023 regular season where they put up 133 points.
The Boston Bruins have lost 6 straight elimination games. Their coach, Jim Montgomery, has the potential to become the first coach in NHL history to blow a 3-1 series lead in back-to-back seasons, which could cause him to join other coaches on the unemployment line. The Bruins have won three consecutive game sevens against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they’re hoping for more of that luck on Saturday.
Toronto Maple Leafs Have Built a Wall
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Joseph Woll has been outstanding in this series. Woll has become the first goaltender in NHL history to win three consecutive elimination games for his first three career playoff wins.
The Maple Leafs have rebounded in this series despite overcoming insane odds. William Nylander was the hero of game six after missing several games earlier in this series. Auston Matthews is the best player on this team and missed games five and six. Joseph Woll wasn’t even the starting goaltender to open the series.
Joseph Woll currently has a .964 save percentage in this series while allowing only 2 goals this series. Since taking the job from the previous starting goaltender Ilya Samsonsov, he’s completely turned around the series and has the potential to finish the comeback.
This Maple Leafs squad is different from the squads who lost in 2013, 2018, and 2019. This team has the chance to do what previous teams couldn’t do. They can beat the Boston Bruins in game seven.
What To Expect
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In 2013, 2018, and 2019, the Bruins and the Maple Leafs needed the maximum number of games possible to decide which team to move on. In each of those games, the Boston Bruins prevailed on home ice. It’s a new decade, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping for new luck.
Boston overall also has the upper hand with a 4-1 record over Toronto in game sevens. Both teams are members of the “Original Six” NHL teams. There’s a lot of history in this rivalry.
It’s unknown if Auston Matthews will be available for this game. The Maple Leafs could certainly use him at this critical juncture, but the Maple Leafs did manage to survive the last two games without him. The Boston Bruins will be looking for more production from anybody in the lineup since their goaltender has been the only one performing in the last few games.
One of these teams will be sent home to contemplate their future with the other teams. The other team will be celebrating moving on to the second round. The winner of the series will get to play against the Florida Panthers. It doesn’t get more dramatic than winner-take-all.
About the Author
Alex is a writer at Total Apex Sports and Total Apex Gaming. He’s a loyal fan of many teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco Giants. You can find him on X at @alex_furtotti
