Game 7 takeaways: Bruins beat Leafs, will play Panthers in second round originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON — The Bruins have punched their ticket to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in three years.
The B’s eliminated the rival Toronto Maple Leafs with a 2-1 overtime win in Game 7 of their first-round series Saturday night at TD Garden. David Pastrnak was the hero in overtime with a goal just 114 seconds into the extra period. The Bruins had a 3-1 series at one point, but just like 2013 and 2018, they finished the job with a Game 7 win over the Leafs.
Boston has now defeated its Original Six rivals in the first round four times (2013, 2018, 2019, 2024) this century. The Bruins also have set an NHL record with 16 Game 7 victories all time, passing the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs also have now lost six straight Game 7s.
Waiting for the Bruins in the second round is the Florida Panthers, who upset the B’s in the first round of the 2023 playoffs by overcoming a 3-1 series deficit, including overtime victories in Games 5 and 7 in Boston. The Bruins won all four matchups during the 2023-24 regular season.
Before we look ahead to the second round, here are three takeaways from Bruins-Leafs Game 7.
David Pastrnak steps up when B’s needed him most
Pastrnak had a pretty quiet couple of games entering Saturday night’s must-win matchup. He had zero points in Games 5 and 6, while also tallying just eight shots over those two games combined.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery actually called out Pastrnak after Game 6. He said the superstar forward “needs to step up” in Game 7.
Pastrnak accepted the challenge and delivered in overtime. He built up speed through the neutral zone, Hampus Lindholm recognized it and played the puck perfectly off the boards to give the Bruins right wing a 1-on-1 with Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov.
Pastrnak scored on a filthy deke to give the Bruins a series win.
Pastrnak finished the series with five points (three goals, two assists) in seven games. He has now scored in four of his six career Game 7s, including each of his last three. The narrative that he doesn’t show up in important playoff games is lazy and just inaccurate. For his career, Pastrnak has 84 points (38 goals, 46 assists) in 84 postseason games.
Bruins show great resilience
There was a ton of pressure on the Bruins in this game. They could have been the first team in NHL, MLB or NBA playoff history to squander a 3-1 series lead in back-to-back…