The Boston Bruins have done it again. For the third time in the past seven seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs ended their season in Game 7 at TD Garden. This time, the Bruins never trailed and did not require any kind of memorable comeback. It was the Sharks’ turn to complete a stunning comeback in Game 7, not the Bruins.
Nevertheless, it was such a huge relief that the season will continue on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Before we look and focus at the series versus the Blue Jackets, who swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, let’s look at some unlikely heroes for the Bruins in their first-round series win against Toronto.
Three biggest stars of Game 7 were Sean Kuraly, Tuukka Rask and Joakim Nordstrom. Well, Rask is never left out of the discussions, whether he should or should not be the Bruins’ starter. The most important thing is that Rask is the Bruins number one goaltender and it paid its dividends. Rask was brilliant in Game 7, making 32 saves on 33 shots on goal. Ever since Game 4, Rask was remarkable and the Leafs managed to score just five goals against him in those three contests.
Sean Kuraly was another Game 7 hero, despite not even being ready to start the series. He made his comeback to the lineup after broken hand in Game 5. In Game 6, his presence was finally felt and welcomed by the Boston Bruins. In Game 7, he assisted on the opening goal of the night and then killed the Leafs with a goal at the start of the third period. That goal was a complete momentum killer for the Leafs. We may wonder how dramatic that game would’ve turned out to be, but we will never find out because we don’t have to. Sean Kuraly stepped up big time at that moment.
In a game, when Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk, and Torey Krug are left without points (Bergeron had an empty-netter, which doesn’t matter and doesn’t change this point of the discussion) and the Bruins had zero power plays as well. It was a time for someone else to step up.
Joakim Nordstrom, heavily criticized by the Bruins fans in the opening games, also scratched in Game 5. He came back in Game 6 and you could figure out, that he wasn’t that bad after all. In Game 7, he had a goal and an assist, after having just one empty-netter in Game 4. Bruce Cassidy trusted Nordstrom and always tended to keep him in the lineup, he certainly knew why.
Marcus Johansson scored his first goal and the first point of the series to make it 2-0 in Game 7. Fun fact? When the Washington Capitals faced the Maple Leafs in the first round in 2017, Johansson had no goals in the first five contests. Then in Game 6 in Toronto, he tied the game in the third and won the series for the Caps in overtime. Twice Johansson faced the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs, twice he scored an eliminating goal against them. No surprise he got a game-winner in Game 7.
On Nordstrom’s opening tally, it was an important keep-in by Noel Acciari and then terrific pinch-in by Matt Grzelcyk. Acciari had an assist on Kuraly’s third-period goal eventually. Noel Acciari is an unrestricted free agent in the summer and he has definitely shown why he is important for the Bruins on their fourth line.
Coming from 2-3 series deficit to finally win two elimination games in a row, that’s something that the Bruins have achieved just for the fourth time in their history. And for the first time since the Stanley Cup final in 2011. Is there something more for the Bruins? Yes, Game 1 against Columbus on Thursday and the fact that the Bruins will have the home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs as they ended up as the highest seeded team remaining in the playoffs.
