Adedokun Waliyu 
In an all too familiar tale for diehard fans, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been eliminated from the NHL Playoffs after losing Game 7 of the first-round series to the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins beat the Leafs 2 to 1 in Boston Saturday night. The team will now advance to play the Florida Panthers and that series begins on Monday.
David Pastrnak scored on a feed from Hampus Lindholm 1:54 into overtime.
Jeremy Swayman finished with 30 saves and Lindholm had the tying goal in regulation to help the Bruins avoid losing their second straight first-round series after holding a 3-1 lead.
William Nylander scored and Auston Matthews had an assist in his return from a two-game absence for the Maple Leafs, who are now 0-6 in Game 7s since the 2013 conference quarterfinals.
They are 0-4 on the road in those games — all in Boston. Matthews missed Games 5 and 6 with an undisclosed ailment.
Ilya Samsonov started in goal for the first time since Game 4 and finished with 29 saves.
The Bruins have defeated the rival Leafs in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs three times in the last seven years.
“It’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s obviously tough,” Auston Matthews told reporters after the game.
“I’m just really proud of the guys to fight and battle back and give ourselves a chance.”
When asked what he would remember about the current group of players, Matthews said they were “the tightest a group [he] has ever been a part of here.”
CityNews sports reporter Lindsay Dunn has covered the Maple Leafs throughout the 2023-2024 series. She said there was a lot of enthusiasm for the team and certain storylines such as Matthews’ quest to score 70 goals in a regular season.
“Here we go again would be what everyone says. It’s the same old song and dance,” Dunn said about the possible reaction to a loss ahead of the game.
She speculated there would be plenty of attention on Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan in the days following a loss.
“They will have only won one playoff series in the [10 years] he’s been president with the team,” she said, noting there will be lingering questions about head coach Sheldon Keefe and the team’s core lineup.
“There’s just a lot at stake and the team most likely, especially the front office.”
