Stock up on your antacids, Boston Bruins fans, there will be a Game 7.
The Bruins, with elimination staring them in the face, staved off the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 6 of their first-round series in Stanley Cup Playoffs, earning a heart-stopping 4-2 victory at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Sunday.
After allowing the first goal of the game, Boston used three-straight tallies to jump ahead and hold on.
Brad Marchand (twice, including an empty-netter), Torey Krug and Jake DeBrusk scored for the Bruins. The Maple Leafs got goals from Morgan Reilly and Auston Matthews.
Tuukka Rask made 22 saves for Boston, while Frederik Andersen pushed away 37 shots in Toronto’s net.
Here’s how it all went down:
POWERED UP
After surrendering the first goal of the game, the Bruins power play struck twice in the first period to give them a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Toronto drew first blood following a Bruins turnover in their own zone. Karson Kuhlman was unable to clear the zone, losing possession at the blue line. Reilly, who forced the turnover, was fed a point pass from William Nylander, which led to a low shot that snuck by the skate of Rask for the opening tally at 9:42.
But a holding penalty on Tyler Ennis would open the door for the Bruins less than two minutes later. Marchand cashed in, fighting his way to the puck off a faceoff tie-up and sneaking a wrister under Andersen to tie things 1-1 at 11:23.
Boston got another power play chance when Travis Dermott tripped up DeBrusk behind the net. And the Bruins moved to 2-for-2 on the man advantage thanks to Krug. A one-timed shot from David Pastrnak bounced out to Krug at the right faceoff dot, and the d-man buried the rebound chance.
Boston also killed off two penalties in the period and held a 14-6 shot advantage.
BRUINS GET INSURANCE
The second period involved less in terms of madness but did see the Bruins extend their lead, taking a 3-1 advantage into the third period.
DeBrusk gave Boston a little insurance with his first tally of the playoffs. The winger carried into the zone on a 2-on-2 rush. He dropped the puck to David Krejci, then darted for the far post. Krejci centered a pass that DeBrusk was able to reach for and tip into the top corner of the net to make it 3-1 at 7:57.
Rask settled in nicely in the middle frame, pushing away nine shots and doing well to track pucks in traffic.
Boston led in shots 30-16 after 40 minutes.
BOSTON FORCES GAME 7
Toronto would threaten, but Boston hung on to set the stage for another epic Game 7 in this Original Six rivalry.
Matthews gave the Maple Leafs life in the early goings of the third, making it 3-2 at 4:15 with a snipe off a cross-ice feed from Jake Gardiner that beat Rask over his right shoulder as he slid from right-to-left to cover the crease.
Predictably, madness ensued from there, with the Leafs desperately throwing everything at the net. Meanwhile, Andersen, who largely was the reason Toronto remained in the game, made a breakaway stop on DeBrusk.
Pastrnak also passed up on a net grade-A chance in front dishing off instead of taking a shot.
Toronto pulled Andersen at 2:05, but Marchand stripped Reilly at the blue line and scored an empty netter to make it 4-2 at 18:06.
UP NEXT
The Bruins force a Game 7 back in Boston on Tuesday. Puck drop from TD Garden is TBD.
This Bruins Wrap is presented by Plainridge Park Casino.
