Goalie Jeremy Swayman stands tall, leads Bruins past Maple Leafs in Game 7, into second round

BOSTON — Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery described goaltender Jeremy Swayman as a difference maker.

Savior would have been a more accurate description.

Swayman made 30 saves to lead the Bruins to a 2-1 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their Stanley Cup playoffs opening-round series on Saturday night at TD Garden. David Pastrnak’s goal at 1:54 of overtime secured Swayman’s fourth win in six starts.

Swayman suffered consecutive 2-1 losses in the previous two games, having been outdueled at the other end by Maple Leafs backup Joesph Woll, who was an 11th-hour scratch and replaced by Ilya Samsonov.

Going into the game, Swayman and Woll were the most effective goaltenders in the opening round. Woll led all playoff goalies with 0.86 goals against average followed by Swayman at 1.60. Woll topped the leaderboard with a .964 save percentage followed by Swayman at .947. In four starts, Samsonov registered a 3.31 goals against average and a .883 save percentage.

Swayman gave up the first goal at the end of an extended stay in the Bruins zone in the third period. Auston Matthews won a puck battled at the half way, and fed William Nylander, who one-timed a wrist shot inside the near post stick side for his third of the series at 9:01. The Bruins tied the game 1-1 when defenseman Hampus Lindholm scored at 10:22.

Swayman forced the overtime when he made a stop just before time ran out. Nylander chipped the puck into the low slot that was redirected off the skate of defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, Swayman stayed with the play and made 28th save of the match.

The Bruins outshot the Maple Leafs 11-8 in the first period, a significant departure from the opening frame in Game 6 when Toronto enjoyed a lopsided 12-to-1 ratio in that category. While Swayman wasn’t overwhelmed like the previous game, he did make a pair of goal-saving glove stops on Toronto rushes into the Bruins zone.

Swayman pulled the puck out of the air on a blistering slap shot from the left point that cleared traffic and was on a line to the far post.

Swayman made a nice glove stop on an odd-man rush by the Maple Leafs at 15:56. Simon Benoit won a race to the puck with Jake DeBrusk, who loss his blades and collided with the half wall. Benoit fed Nylander, who had both Toronto goals in Game 6. Nylander ripped a wrister that Swayman gloved.

Swayman caught grief from all angles during a Maple Leafs’ second-period power play, an advantage awarded them following a dubious cross check along the boards by Charlie Coyle on Max Domi.

Swayman made a huge stop on an uncontested wrist shot by Calle Jarnkrok from the high slot. Jarnkrok made a run at Swayman in pursuit of his own rebound and was immediately engulfed three black jerseys. The Maple Leafs took a 15-13 lead in shots on goal during the power play.

Swayman made another big stop during a Bruins’ power play when Toronto left wing Connor Dewar forced a neutral zone turnover and skated in alone at 11:27.

Swayman was bowled over for a second time when Bruins’ defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk sent Toronto right wing Matthew Klines crashing through the Boston crease. Swayman bent over and checked on Klines to make sure he was OK. Swayman exited the scoreless second period with 22 saves.