After taking a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs, it appeared that the Boston Bruins were going to finish off their Original Six rivals to advance to the second round. Toronto had other ideas and without star Auston Matthews, they won a pair of 2-1 games in Games 5 and 6 to set up a winner-take-all all Game 7 Saturday night at the TD Garden.
Boston fans were nervous going into the game as they did not want their team to make history by being the first team in the NHL, NBA, or MLB to blow 3-1 series leads in consecutive seasons. Apparently, Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers had little doubt about who was coming out of the series and would be in Sunrise Monday night to play the defending Eastern Conference champions in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Matthew Tkachuk throws some shade at the Toronto Maple Leafs
Sunday, Tkachuk met with the media and gave an honest opinion about knowing who the Panthers were going to play in the second round all along.
Tkachuk: "Without this coming out too badly, I think we all knew it was probably going to Boston the way that series was going...I think throughout the whole series we were probably expecting they were going to come out and win it one way or another." pic.twitter.com/LBvEcJdxPG
— Jori Negin-Shecter (@JNeginShecter) May 5, 2024
Yikes, that won't sit well in Toronto for sure. Yes, the Maple Leafs have had postseason heartbreak year after year, but still, Game 7 could have gone either way. I bet he wasn't thinking that after William Nylander gave Toronto a 1-0 lead with 10:59 remaining in the game with the game's first goal.
Fortunately for Boston, Hampus Lindholm had an answer right away to tie the game before David Pastrnak added his name to the growing list of Bruins who have broken Maple Leafs' players and fan's hearts with an overtime goal in the playoffs to seal the series and send them to South Florida Sunday afternoon to prepare for Monday night's Game 1.
Look, if there is anyone who knows what it takes to come from behind down three games to one, it's Tkachuk who played a big role in Florida completing last season against the Bruins. Boston will get a chance to get revenge for last season's playoff exit and it appears that Matthew Thachuk knew all along it would be the Black and Gold they were going to face after dispatching the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round in five games.