IT’S DO OR DIE
The stage was set for Game 7 in one of the most anticipated series in the playoffs. After 60 minutes of play, the Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a dramatic 7-4 win last night at TD Garden. In a hard-fought game with missed scoring chances, rough net minding in a back and forth game, a young superstar helped his team punch their ticket to round two. In his first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring two goals and playing a solid game throughout the series, Jake DeBrusk came through—big time.
HOT TAKE
The Bruins were up 3-1 in the series only to see the Maple Leafs charge back and tie it up. The one consistent player on the team would be DeBrusk, who garnered seven points in seven games, along with netting five goals (tying it up with fellow superstar David Pastrnak). On a night that he’ll never forget, the humble 21 year old took a moment to catch his breath:
“I’ll never forget this series…first playoffs and I was really happy to contribute and obviously tonight with the home crowd here, too and how the game was going. It was back and forth and emotions were pretty crazy. It was nice to get on the board and it was nice to help the team win.”
GET IT DONE
The story about the Bruins this year is the amount of effort given by the first year players. Last night was no exception. After Torey Krug drove the puck hard on net, tying up the game 4-4, DeBrusk took a pass from David Krecji and was heading straight for Anderson. Toronto’s defenseman Jake Gardiner took a few good side hits to DeBrusk. Both players ended up crashing behind the net with DeBrusk sending his puck right through Frederik Anderson’s five hole. For the second time that night , the Bruins would be up on the score and were poised to make an emotional comeback.
THERE’S HOPE YET
With DeBrusk scoring his second goal of the night, the B’s finally found their legs. David Pastrňák and Brad Marchand hit the final nail on the Leaf’s coffin, scoring the final two goals. The Bruins secured a series victory with a 7-4 win. As for Jake DeBrusk, you wouldn’t know that he was a first year player. From his stellar rushes, to scoring important goals in a playoff game, DeBrusk isn’t afraid to make tough plays. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy commented:
“That’s always the first thing; get into the inside, play inside, be willing to hit, fight for your space…He’s (DeBrusk) around the net. ..he’s been real greasy..And he had his legs the whole series. He can really get on pucks and make people uncomfortable, so I was happy for him. He’s really contributing for us.”
FINAL QUICK THOUGHTS
The Bruins are heading into the second round in the playoffs, and as special as this team has been they’ll need to continue to drive hard to the net, get real physical, shoot the puck and be better in net. For someone like DeBrusk, he can only thrive as he continue to push himself.
We’re looking at you, kid.
Thoughts? Comments?
Follow Liz Rizzo on Twitter @pastagrl88
