The Bruins did not have a shot on goal until Jake DeBrusk’s at 11:38 of the first period. The Maple Leafs outshot the Bruins 12-1 after 20 minutes. They outshot the Bruins 11-2 in the first period in Game 5.
“It’s unacceptable, our start again,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “We have to find a way to start on time, and we just have to be better. Toronto, starting on time, they’re getting the advantage, they have the momentum. I thought the last 30 minutes we pushed back really well, but it shouldn’t take that long.”
Nylander put Toronto up 1-0 at 19:05 of the second period when his shot from above the right face-off circle went in off the knee of Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy at the top of the goal crease.
Nylander, who had 98 points (40 goals, 58 assists) in 82 regular-season games, missed the first three games of the series with an undisclosed injury and had not scored since March 26, ending the regular season with four assists in his final 11 games and going without a point in Games 4 and 5 against the Bruins.
“Remarkable,” Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies said of Nylander. “He battled all night, threw a big hit, scored two goals. Can’t ask much more from him.”
Woll kept it a one-goal game with a glove save on Charlie Coyle at 6:44 of the third period just after a wild scramble in front of the net.
The Maple Leafs went up 2-0 at 17:47 when Nylander scored on a breakaway with a backhand deke between Swayman’s pads after taking a pass in the neutral zone from Knies.
“He’s a heck of a game-breaker,” Toronto captain John Tavares said. “When he has the puck on his stick, he can make something happen at any time. Two elite finishes for us tonight to obviously come at a big time in a huge way. It’s not surprising.”
