Nylander’s Two-Goal Performance Pushes Maple Leafs-Bruins Series to Decisive Game Seven

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins met again in Toronto for Game Six of their first-round series after the Maple Leafs won an exciting overtime Game Five victory to escape elimination. In Game Five, the Maple Leafs had to pull off the road victory without their leading goal scorer in Auston Matthews, who led the league in goals with 69. Heading into Game Six, it was announced that Matthews would miss his second straight game as he dealt with an undisclosed injury. For the Bruins, a key heading into tonight’s game was getting off to a fast start as they were outshot 11-2 in the first period of Game Five. However, the Maple Leafs would keep stifling the Bruins squad, led by two goals from William Nylander, and emerged victorious 2-1 to force a pivotal Game Seven. 

For the second consecutive game, the Bruins' slow performance in the first period continued as they were outshot 11-1 and they would find it difficult to create scoring opportunities against Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll. Fortunately for the Bruins, though, there would be no more goals in the game as we entered the second period. After Bruins winger David Pastrnak was given a high-sticking double minor only 1:10 into the second period, the Maple Leafs were awarded a four-minute power play opportunity. However, the Maple Leafs could only generate two shots on goal and the game would remain scoreless. With 54 seconds left in the middle frame, Nylander would win a faceoff and gather the puck, then shoot from the right circle to give the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead. The puck would deflect off Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy's pants, past Jeremy Swayman's glove, and into the net. 

In the third period, the Bruins would push throughout the final 20 minutes to find the tying goal. However, with 2:13 remaining in regulation, Nylander would receive a pass from Matthew Knies for a breakaway opportunity and Nylander would bury the puck through Swayman’s five-hole to extend their lead to 2-0. With 0.1 seconds remaining in the game, Woll tangled with one of his teammates to allow Bruins center Morgan Geekie to score into an empty net, cutting the Boston deficit to 2-1. However, it was too little, too late, as Toronto prevailed 2-1 to force a winner-take-all Game Seven back at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday night. The Bruins, who were defeated in seven games by the Florida Panthers in the last postseason, will be trying to avoid squandering a 3-1 series lead for the second straight year.