Boston Bruins eliminate Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 OT win

The Toronto Maple Leafs are out of the NHL playoffs in the first round, after losing to the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime of Game 7 on Saturday night.

David Pastrnak scored at 1:54 of overtime as Boston downed Toronto to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves.

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 Florida Panthers at the same stage of the post-season last spring.

It came just moments after William Nylander scored the only goal for the Leafs in the third period. Toronto battled back from a deep hole in the series before winning two straight minus ailing star sniper Auston Matthews, but were unable to complete the comeback.

Ilya Samsonov started in net 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.

The Bruins will take on the well-rested Panthers in the second round in South Florida beginning Monday.

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.

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.

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. 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 (in 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2024).