Leafs defeat Bruins in Game 6
CBC
William Nylander scored twice and Joseph Woll made 22 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Thursday to force Game 7 in their first-round series.
Toronto has now won two straight — including Tuesday's 2-1 overtime victory in Game 5 — after falling behind their Original Six rival 3-1 to force a winner-take-all finale Saturday in Boston. Morgan Rielly had two assists.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who also blew a 3-1 lead against the Florida Panthers in last spring's first round before losing in Game 7 following a record-setting regular season. Morgan Geekie scored, ruining Woll's shutout with 0.1 seconds left.
The Leafs were minus Auston Matthews for a second straight elimination contest after the star centre was pulled from Game 4 with an illness and then missed Tuesday's 2-1 overtime victory at TD Garden that kept Toronto alive.
The winner of Leafs-Bruins will take on the well-rested Florida Panthers, who topped the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in that series, in the second round.
Nylander snapped a 0-0 tie with 54.8 seconds left in the middle period with some of his patented Swedish style. The slick winger took a pass from Timothy Liljegren in the offensive zone before weaving away from his check and firing a shot that glanced off Bruins defenceman Charlie McAvoy in front and beat Swayman on the shortside.
The goal set off wild celebrations inside an electric Scotiabank Arena — and outside the rink as Maple Leaf Square turned into a mosh pit of blue and white.
Leafs captain John Tavares had a great chance that whistled just wide before Woll went to work. After a shot pinballed just wide with the Bruins buzzing, the rookie goaltender made a huge stop with the glove on Charlie Coyle in tight to raucous approval.
Boston continued to press, but Toronto made it 2-0 with 2:13 left in regulation when Nylander moved in alone after taking a pass from Matthew Knies and slid a backhand between Swayman's pads to send the series back to Beantown tied 3-3.
Geekie scored with 0.1 to spoil Woll's first career shutout.
The Leafs battled back from 3-1 deficits against Boston in 2013 and 2018 before losing in seven.
Toronto held a 3-2 lead against the Bruins in 2019, but then dropped two straight for a third series loss against Boston in seven years.
The Leafs, who led 12-2 on the shot clock after the first period of Game 5, came out flying again Thursday with a couple good chances in a physical opening 20 minutes that saw the teams combine for 48 hits.
Toronto's power play had some decent looks on its first opportunity, but dropped to 1-for-18 in the series before Knies — Tuesday's OT hero — had a great chance on Swayman's doorstep at the buzzer as the home side outshot Boston 21-1.
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