1. Bruins come back from 4-1 deficit to win Game 7 in 2013
Was there any doubt which moment would take the top spot?
The Bruins and the Leafs met in the playoffs for the first time this decade in 2013. Like the two most recent series, this one also went to seven games.
Before the series started, most people expected Boston to advance without much of a problem. The Bruins were only two years removed from a Stanley Cup championship, while the Leafs were a scrappy and young team not quite ready to take that next step.
This, however, did not seem to be the case in Game 7 in Boston.
After Matt Bartkowski gave Boston a 1-0 lead, the Leafs took total control. Toronto eventually took a 4-1 lead in the third period after old friend Phil Kessel and future-nemesis Nazem Kadri scored two goals three and half minutes apart.
We all know what happens next.
The Bruins somehow found enough inside them to start an epic third-period comeback. Nathan Horton gave fans hope midway through the third, and then Milan Lucic made it really interesting with a little over a minute left.
With less than a minute left in the game and possibly the season, Patrice Bergeron tied the game with a wrister from the point. He beat James Reimer through a screen in front to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, Bergeron scored again to finish as the game’s hero. He hammered home a rebound to send the home crowd into a state of delirium.
Game 7 at TD Garden has become nothing short of a nightmare for Toronto, and it all started in 2013.
Will we see any more memorable moments between the Bruins and Leafs in the 2019-2020 season? The answer is yes. Don’t be surprised if the two teams meet again in the first round of the playoffs. At this point, it seems like destiny.