BOSTON — FINAL: Bruins beat Maple Leafs in Game 7
The Boston Bruins are set to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' first round. The winner will advance to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, who downed the President's Trophy winning Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0, while the other will see their season end.
>>>WATCH: Matt Kalman gets you ready for Game 7
This will be the third time that Boston and Toronto have dueled in a Game 7 since 2013. During that seven-year stretch, the Bruins are 2-0 against the Leafs in series and Game 7s, winning in 2013 and 2018. In both instances, Boston rallied from third-period deficits to eliminate Toronto and advance to the next round.
Related: Bruins, Leafs go to Game 7 for 3rd straight playoff matchup
Toronto will look to win its first playoff series since 2004, while the Bruins will look to advance to the second round for the second time in as many seasons. The Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967.
Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. at Boston's TD Garden.
PREVIOUS: Marchand helps Bruins beat Maple Leafs 4-2 to force Game 7
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FINAL: Bruins 5, Maple Leafs 1. The Boston Bruins advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
ON TO THE NEXT 👏👏 Boston Bruins advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with tonight's Game 7 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs! https://t.co/7BTI3Egy8k pic.twitter.com/VW8VgDn6dD
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) April 24, 2019
#NHLBRUINS WIN GAME 7!!! 🙌
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 24, 2019
5-1 over Toronto. We're moving on to Round 2! pic.twitter.com/zwSW1FOvTb
Another failed season for Canada.
— Chad Amaral (@Chad_Amaral) April 24, 2019
No team from Canada has won a Stanley Cup since 1993. That's 25 seasons (minus the lockout) #NHLBruins
Maple Leaf Square is no doubt a great place to visit if you’re a hockey fan, but it’s not a very happy place to be right now as Toronto bows out in 7! Next up the @BlueJacketsNHL for your @NHLBruins!
— Mark Ockerbloom (@ocktalks) April 24, 2019
Tuukka Rask earns the No. 1 star, saving 32 of 33 shots. #StanleyCup
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 24, 2019
9:32 p.m.: After a bit of uncertainty, it is announced that Patrice Bergeron's goal at 19:59 does count, giving the Bruins a 5-1 win over Toronto in Game 7.
Local boy makes good, Coyle with the empty netter to ice it! @NHLBruins up 4-1 and moving on! #StanleyCupPlayoffs2019
— Mark Ockerbloom (@ocktalks) April 24, 2019
Charlie Coyle - he's from Weymouth - ices the game with the empty netter with 2:34 to go. 4-1 Boston
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 24, 2019
9:30 p.m.: Charlie Coyle buries an empty-net goal with 2:34 to go to make it 4-1 Bruins.
Nordstrom, Johansson, and of course Kuraly. Who else would you expect to score in Game 7? #NHLBruins
— Chad Amaral (@Chad_Amaral) April 24, 2019
9:12 p.m.: The Bruins kill off the too-many-men penalty.
Big kill upcoming for the Bruins https://t.co/xaFd0E87cC
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 24, 2019
9:10 p.m.: The Leafs head back to the powerplay as the Bruins are whistled for too many men on the ice -14:40 to go in the contest with the Bruins ahead, 3-1.
Kuraly's presence was greatly missed earlier in the series. He repays for his earlier absence. Top shelf. 3-1 Bruins with 17:13 to go
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 24, 2019
9:06 p.m.: Sean Kuraly rips a shot past Anderson into the top right corner to take a 3-1 lead with 17:13 to go in the contest. Kuraly entered the offensive zone 1-on-1 and unleashed a shot from the high slot over the left shoulder of Anderson.
9:00 p.m.: The third period has begun between the Bruins and Leafs. Boston leads 2-1.
8:45 p.m.: At the end of two periods, the Bruins lead the Maple Leafs, 2-1. Toronto out shot Boston, 13-8, in the second period for a two-period total of 25-19 in favor of the Leafs.
He’s not “standing on his head” yet, but #TuukkaRask may need to before this #game7 is over the way #leafs are skating now vs #bruins #stanleycupplayoffs @Bos25Sports @boston25
— Butch Stearns (@ButchStearns) April 24, 2019
Nice touch by @tdgarden veteran #JohnMitchell and his #Jumbotron crew by using #Celtics players pump up crowd video during last break and then showing @celtics players and #BradStevens in luxury box. #Bostonstrong @Bos25Sports @boston25
— Butch Stearns (@ButchStearns) April 24, 2019
8:27 p.m.: The Boston Celtics were in attendance at TD Garden to watch the Bruins in their attempt to move on to the second round. The C's defeated the Indiana Pacers, 4-0, in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
8:25 p.m.: The Bruins killed off the penalty to Brandon Carlo. They lead 2-1 with 9:05 remaining in the second period.
Leafs will go to the PP as Carlo draws a cross checking minor with 11:38 to go. #StanleyCup
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 24, 2019
8:22 p.m.: Toronto will have the first powerplay of the game as Brandon Carlo gets sent off for cross checking with 11:38 to go in the second period.
The #Leafs currently have 18 shots on net vs #bruins in #game7 I would argue that half of those shots have been good to great saves by #tuukkaRask @Bos25Sports @boston25
— Butch Stearns (@ButchStearns) April 24, 2019
8:19 p.m.: Frederick Anderson comes up with a big save, stoning Brad Marchand as he tries to tuck the puck in on the right side. The Denmark native, however, slides the end of his pad to the post, keeping the puck out.
Can you say “Big Goal Fred”. #johntavares picked a good time for his first goal of the #bruins #leafs series. @Bos25Sports @boston25
— Butch Stearns (@ButchStearns) April 24, 2019
Tavares buries a feed from Tyler Ennis and makes it 2-1 with 16:02 to go in the second. #StanleyCup
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 24, 2019
8:13 p.m.: John Tavares buries a feed from Tyler Ennis to make it 2-1 Boston with 16:02 remaining in the second period.
8:08 p.m.: The second period is underway at TD Garden, with the Bruins leading the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-0.
Bruins ahead 2-0 after the first period. The Leafs are narrowly out shooting the Bruins, 12-11.
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 23, 2019
7:52 p.m.: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady weighed in with his thoughts while watching the first period of Bruins-Leafs Game 7.
Bruins ahead 2-0 after the first period. The Leafs are narrowly out shooting the Bruins, 12-11.
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 23, 2019
7:50 p.m.: At the end of the first period, the Bruins lead the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-0.
Marcus Johansson, 2-0 @NHLBruins
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 23, 2019
Stepped away from the game for less than a minute and bam, Johansson makes it 2-0 @NHLBruins. That’ll teach me...or maybe I should do it again!
— Mark Ockerbloom (@ocktalks) April 23, 2019
7:47 p.m.: Marcus Johansson converts a wrap-around bid to make it 2-0 Bruins with just over two minutes to go in the first period. The former New Jersey Devil wristed a shot in the low slot past Anderson's far side after Charlie Coyle stripped the puck from a Maple Leaf behind the net.
7:41 p.m.: Goal reads: Nordstrom (Grzelcyk, Kuraly), 14:29
Nordstrom makes it 1-0 for the Bruins, sneaking a shot short side on Frederick Anderson with 5:29 to go in the first period. #StanleyCup
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 23, 2019
And.......@bruins score first. #Nordstrom from impossible angle #TORvsBOS #StanleyCupPlayoffs2019 @Bos25Sports @boston25
— Butch Stearns (@ButchStearns) April 23, 2019
Nordstrom lights the lamp with the goal near side, 1-0 @NHLBruins. Love it when the 4th line scores!
— Mark Ockerbloom (@ocktalks) April 23, 2019
7:38 p.m.: Boston takes a 1-0 lead with 5:29 left in the first period on a goal from Joakim Nordstrom.
Three very good saves by #TuukkaRask already in this #Game7 #bruins vs #leafs #stanleycupplayoffs @boston25 @Bos25Sports
— Butch Stearns (@ButchStearns) April 23, 2019
7:28 p.m.: Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask with a flurry of saves around the 10 minute mark as the Bruins and Leafs battle for the game's first goal.
Crowd @tdgarden is ready for this #Game7 #Bruins vs #Leafs #StanleyCupPlayoffs2019 @boston25 @Bos25Sports Lots of Ooohs & Ahhhs already. pic.twitter.com/6E5cS72jS3
— Butch Stearns (@ButchStearns) April 23, 2019
Bruins and Leafs trading chances early with both teams generating offensive zone time. #StanleyCup
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 23, 2019
7:00 p.m.: Game 7 has begun at TD Garden.
6:00 p.m.: The Bruins teased who would be their honorary captain for Game 7, leaving a series of hints for their online fans. (Hint: The answer is Julian Edelman).
We’re letting you guess tonight’s Game 7 fan banner captain.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 23, 2019
Hint No. 1 | This Boston athlete has won three world championships. pic.twitter.com/q4ZqLKflju
Hint No. 2 | He made his career debut the same year that Brad Marchand made his.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 23, 2019
Final Hint | He attended college in the same state as Sean Kuraly.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 23, 2019
4:00 p.m.: The Bruins posted a hype video for their viewers on their official twitter page.
Whatever it takes.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/8lbNoQR2qi
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 23, 2019
2:45 p.m.: Bruins captain Zdeno Chara will tie an NHL record tonight when he playes in his 13th Game 7, according to the NHL.
Zdeno Chara of the @NHLBruins is set to tie an NHL record by playing in his 13th career #Game7, joining all-time co-leaders Patrick Roy (13) and Scott Stevens (13).
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 23, 2019
More #Game7 #NHLStats: https://t.co/DEgHkZs3sG #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/uoTkrZANGe
12:00 p.m.: Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy announced that there will be no changes to the Bruins lineup for Game 7, meaning that David Backes and Chris Wagner will not play for Boston. Rookie Karson Kuhlman will be dressed for the game.
Backes, Wagner OUT for Game 7.
— Dave Souza (@dsouza4717) April 23, 2019
Kuhlman IN. #StanleyCup https://t.co/dyulbcwhZr
In their Game Notes, the Bruins posted their anticipated line rushes for Game 7:
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Danton Heinen
Jake DeBrusk - David Krejci - David Pastrnak
Marcus Johansson - Charlie Coyle - Karson Kuhlman
Joakim Nordstrom - Sean Kuraly - Noel Acciari
Zdeno Chara - Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug - Brandon Carlo
John Moore - Matt Grzelcyk
Tuukka Rask
Jaroslav Halak
Bruins captain Zdeno Chara posted on Instagram a day before the Bruins begin their Game 7 battle. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady commented, "#madeforthis go bruins!!!" shortly afterwards.
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