The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins face off Wednesday night at TD Garden in the only Game 7 tilt of the opening round in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Bruins held a 3-1 series lead until the Maple Leafs stormed back with two straight wins to force a Game 7. The winner of Wednesday night’s game will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round.
Boston and Toronto are five years removed from an epic Game 7. The Bruins became the first team to erase a three-goal deficit in the third period to win the game, with Patrice Bergeron scoring the tying and game-winning goals in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs.
Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask gave up four goals on 28 shots in that game. He’s 1-2 in Game 7s with his losses to Philadelphia in 2010 and Washington in 2012.
Tommy Wingels, who the Chicago Blackhawks traded in February to Boston, will be a healthy scratch for Wednesday’s game.
It’ll be a busy night for Toronto, who will have the NBA’s Raptors hosting Game 5 against the Washington Wizards and the MLS’ Toronto FC visiting Chivas de Guadalajara in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final.
The Maple Leafs are trying to win their first playoff series since 2004, when they need seven games to beat the Ottawa Senators. The Bruins haven’t won a postseason in three years.
How to watch Wednesday’s Game 7:
Stanley Cup playoffs schedule
| Matchup | Series | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 5: Washington at Vegas | WSH 3-1 | 7 p.m. | NBC |
SB Nation sites to follow on Twitter:
Toronto (@PPPLeafs) at Boston (@cupofchowdah)