Leafs force Game 7 in NHL playoff series against Bruins
Andersen rock-solid again as Toronto wins 2nd straight, ties series
TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs won this one for their city.
Frederik Andersen made 32 saves Monday as the Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1 to tie their first-round playoff series 3-3 and force Game 7. The victory came hours after 10 people were killed when a van mounted a sidewalk in Toronto’s north end and struck multiple pedestrians in what was described as a “horrific attack.”
“Changes the new normal in a family’s life forever: no mom, no dad, no brother, no sister,” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said. “We’re lucky to live in such a fantastic city, great first responders and the work they’ve done. And it’s so important that we rally around these people, help them, do everything we can. We have a fantastic city and we can’t let this get in the way of what we’ve got going. Tragedy, to say the least.
“It was our job to do what we could to do our job here tonight . . . you’re just out there enjoying a beautiful day in Toronto. Senseless.”
Most of the players woke from their pre-game naps to learn of the incident at 1:30 p.m. local time that also injured 15 people.
“We’re sending all our love,” said Leafs forward Mitch Marner, who scored the winning goal and added an assist. “It’s happening too often now, these things. It sucks . . . . This is a big win for us after an emotional day.”
There was a moment of silence for the victims and their families prior to the opening faceoff at Air Canada Centre.
“Very tragic event,” Bruins forward Brad Marchand said.
William Nylander and Tomas Plekanec, into an empty net, also scored for the Leafs, who trailed the Eastern Conference quarterfinal 3-1 before winning two straight. Nikita Zaitsev had two assists.
Jake DeBrusk replied for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask stopped 27 shots after getting pulled in Game 5 at TD Garden.
The winner of Wednesday’s Game 7 in Boston will meet the Tampa Bay Lightning in the next round.
Scoreless after an end-to-end first period, the Bruins grabbed a 1-0 lead 1:02 into the second when David Krejci won a faceoff after an icing against Auston Matthews right to DeBrusk, who ripped a shot between Andersen’s arm and body.
Toronto responded just 35 seconds later when Nylander buried a rebound from a Jake Gardiner point shot for his first goal of the playoffs.
The Leafs then took an unlikely lead completely against the run of play with 6:35 left in the period when Marner was quickest to a loose puck in the slot and beat Rask with a backhand.
“Just enjoying the moment,” Andersen said. “Being in a do-or-die position, I think we all embrace that as a team.”
The Leafs have trailed 3-1 in a best-of-seven series 15 times, with their only win coming in the 1942 Stanley Cup Final when they erased a 3-0 deficit to beat Detroit.
“You don’t remember everything in your life,” said Babcock, the coach of a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff series in 14 years. “What you do is you remember moments, and you want to create those moments.
“Here’s an opportunity for us to create memories.”
CAPITALS 6, BLUE JACKETS 3
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Washington Capitals can now turn their attention to the Pittsburgh Penguins and avenging some playoff disappointments.
The Capitals won four straight games over the Columbus Blue Jackets after fumbling the first two in overtime at home, capping their opening-round playoff series with a 6-3 victory on Monday in Game 6.
Alex Ovechkin scored twice, including his 50th playoff goal, and Braden Holtby had 35 saves to lift the Capitals, who never trailed after winning in overtime in Game 5 on Saturday.
The Capitals will again move onto the conference semifinals after being eliminated by Pittsburgh in the second round in each of the past two years.
“We accomplished what we believed we could at the beginning of the series,” said Holtby, who relieved a struggling Philipp Grubauer in Game 2 and was great the rest of the way. “We’ll enjoy it a bit, rest up and prepare for the next one.”