Recap: Pastrnak’s OT goal advances Bruins to second round with 2-1 Game 7 win

On to Florida!

David Pastrnak answered the call in overtime to send the Boston Bruins to Round Two, as the Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 win in Game 7.

“I’m really proud of the players because this was an opportunity to seize the moment and be difference makers,” Montgomery said after the win. “Everybody had the attitude of wanting to be a difference maker.”

“We were connected as five guys in all three zones,” Montgomery said.

Despite the Bruins starting on time and sustaining offensive zone overage early on, the Maple Leafs clogged shooting lanes like the previous two games, limiting the Bruins’ scoring chances.

Jeremy Swayman stood on his head though as the Leafs bounced back, building momentum off some penalty kills in the second period.

The game was scoreless through 40 minutes, setting up a third period which seemed more like overtime and “the next goal scored wins the game” type of energy.

William Nylander put the Leafs on the board nine minutes into the third after a turnover in the corner, but Hampus Lindholm stepped up shortly after to tie the game by pinching down and getting open.

But it was Pastrnak, who Montgomery wanted more from and spoke to following Game 6, who became the Game 7 hero, picking up the bounce from a purposefully puck dump to the corner boards, exploding to the net front with speed for a backhander past Ilya Samsonov.

The Bruins had contributions, little and big, from up and down the lineup to win that game, showing a resilience to fight back and advance.

Here are the highlights!

First period:

Scoreless

Second period:

Scoreless

Third period:

The Maple Leafs took the lead at 9:01 of the third period.

Auston Matthews found William Nylander crashing the slot for a one-timer past Jeremy Swayman’s stick. 1-0 Maple Leafs.

The Bruins tied the game at 10:22 of the third period.

After a strong net-front play, James van Riemsdyk won the puck to Hampus Lindholm, who pinched down to the left-wing circle. Lindholm took a second to be patient before letting go a wrist shot from the face-off circle which flew past Ilya Samsonov’s stick and the post. 1-1 tie game.

Overtime:

The Bruins won Game 7 at 1:54 of overtime.

Lindholm dumped the puck into the corner. The bouncing puck found David Pastrnak’s stick as he exploded with speed out front and lifted a backhander past Samsonov. Final score; 2-1 Bruins to advance to Round 2!

Game notes:

• “You wondered if they’re going to go grab it.” — Montgomery postgame
• Only good vibes this afternoon when looking back on the Game 7 win and I felt this quote from Montgomery right after his team was victorious in overtime perfectly summed up not only this win, but the feel of the whole series. You wondered if they were going to rise to the occasion, get out of the first round or bow out after a promising series start.
• But the Bruins started on time, got back to basics and simplified their game when it counted.
• The game had the feels from the beginning to be a one-goal, down to the wire decision and likely won on an ugly or bad bounce. The puck wasn’t getting through the four Maple Leafs in front of Samsonov. The power play wasn’t working. The Bruins were shooting, but nothing was going in. On the flip side, while the Bruins had the stronger first period, the Maple Leafs matched the Bruins’ pace in the second, getting the better chances. It really felt like it was going to be a fluky goal to determine who moved on.
• Montgomery attributed the win their quick start, getting to the net and breaking out the pucks well. “The speed with which we played especially offensively and then the way we held on the pucks and the way our defenseman were really involved, we were connected as five guys in all three zones, especially with the puck,” Montgomery said.
• It took everyone stepping up to win that game. Lindholm had six shots on net during Game 7. He had six shots on net combined in the previous six games. And what happened when he shot and jumped into offensive plays? Goal and MAJOR assist.
• Postgame soundbite: “I can see it when he swings like that,” Lindholm said about reading Pastrnak’s body language leading up to the OT winner.
• It’s storyline stuff, but you couldn’t have written a better ending after the last few days to have Pastrnak score the winner. After being quiet for Game 6 and 7, Pastrnak stepped up to the plate. Pastrnak heeded the call, but it was a full lineup effort.
• The Bruins’ third line — Justin Brazeau, James van Riemsdyk and Trent Frederic — kept pressure down low and around Samsonov. Their play is the reason the game was tied as the whole set-up to Lindholm’s goal was their efforts. Frederic wins the battle behind the net, gets it to Brazeau in front, JVR is there to pick it up and backhand it to Lindholm. The line had plays like that all game where they just kept at it and it finally paid off in a huge moment.
• Mason Lohrei was a difference maker out there. Besides Lindholm’s obvious contributions on defense — and offense — in the game, Lohrei may have been the biggest challenge for the Maple Leafs. He moved the puck so well and wasn’t afraid to make plays. He didn’t look like someone playing in only his six playoff game. Lohrei looked like he belonged out there and whatever happens the rest of the playoffs, that’s a huge win for the Bruins’ future.
• Swayman, again, was the best player on the ice and it’s not even close. He recorded his highest save percentage of the series at .968. Overall — he had a .950 save percentage this series. He looked calm and poise that whole game. Knies comes crashing in on him out of the box after losing control from Kevin Shattenkirk picking him off? Swayman shakes it off. He made the night look easy.
• Enjoy the win, because work starts again Monday with a whole new series. Initial thoughts going in — will Montgomery switch things up and put Linus Ullmark in to start the series based on his performance against them during the regular season or continue to ride Swayman? The Bruins also still need more from their top forwards.
• The Bruins will open Round Two against the Florida Panthers on the road on Monday, May 6, with an 8 P.M. ET start time.