It’s Deja Vu All Over Again. This time, David Pastrnak sent the Toronto Maple Leafs home in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring the Game-Winning, Series-Clinching Overtime Goal in Game 7.
David Pastrnak was called out by his head coach, Jim Montgomery, after Game 6. Montgomery wanted more from Pastrnak. Even Pastrnak knew he could take his game to another level. Well, with the Bruins season on the line, Pastrnak delivers in overtime of Game 7 as Boston defeats Toronto by a score of 2-1, winning the series 4-3.
“I’m Trying to soak it all in. It’s a heck of a moment,” Pastrnak told Emily Kaplan of ESPN right after the game. “I haven’t played great hockey this series. This is the beauty about playoffs: it’s about the next play, and I know we are moving on.”
The criticism surrounding David Pastrnak was warranted. He got a new contract that paid him $11 million a season. He led the Bruins in points and goals. But through the first six games, he was invisible. Top players must perform at this time of year because regular-season statistics don’t matter. However, with the season on the line, Pastrnak delivered for the Bruins.
There was so much pressure for both clubs entering this game. Many were wondering and speculating if this would be a loser leaving town or the last man standing match to coin wrestling between Montgomery and Sheldon Keefe. It felt like both men were coaching for their jobs. If the Bruins blew another 3-1 series, it would be the first time in professional sports history. And Montgomery would have been behind the bench in both cases.
The Maple Leafs have had one playoff series win since 2004 with Keefe at the helm, and it was last year. So he was coaching for his job. The Maple Leafs did a great job rallying from a 3-1 deficit, especially after a poor Game 4 performance in Toronto. Keefe got this club playing better defensively to lock things down. You have to question where the effort was earlier in the series.
Stanley Cup Odds: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Odds: Western Conference Winner
Stanley Cup Odds: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Odds: Eastern Conference Winner
FULL PRESS HOCKEY: 2024 Stanley Cup Odds: Carolina and Toronto Early Favorites
As for the Bruins, Montgomery went away from his plan after Game 3. ‘Monty’ was rotating Swayman and Linus Ullmark throughout the regular season. He did so in the series’ first two games until Swayman stood on his head in Game 3. Until Games 5 and 6, Swayman was unbeaten over the last two seasons against Toronto. The numbers did not lie; he took the net in Game 3.
Swayman was not the reason the Bruins lost those two games. He gave his team a chance to win, but there was no offense. The same thing happened in Game 7. He made outstanding saves. He robbed Matthew Knies, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Calle Jarnkrok. He saved the series at the end of period three when Nylander sent a puck off Bruins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon‘s skate.
Jeremy Swayman was locked in for the Bruins. He saved the Bruins for sure. The goal he gave up to Nylander to open the game was not his fault. Auston Matthews won a battle, and Swayman had to respect the shot. Matthews slid it to Nylander to open the scoring.
But you have to love the fight and determination the Bruins showed. They dominated periods one and three. What a response a 1:23 later as Hampus Lindholm scored his fifth career playoff goal. It was back and forth from there. Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov matched Swayman save for save, starting for the injured Joseph Woll.
But you could see the agony of defeat in overtime on Samsonov as Pastrnak’s backhand shot trickled over the net. It was a perfect set play by Lindholm, who used the Garden boards to his advantage. Pastrnak snuck behind the Maple Leafs defense for the game-winning, series-clinching overtime goal.
The Bruins are heading to Florida to take on the Panthers. It is a rematch of Round 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where Florida knocked Boston out in Game 7 in overtime after they rallied from a 3-1 series deficit.
For the Maple Leafs, they have not been 0-6 since 2013 in Game 7, and now questions will be raised about the core and their future.
As for David Pastrnak, this is the type of goal that gets a player going heading into Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
More must-reads: