In do-or-die Game 7, Bruins will once again have major advantage in locker room

Three hundred and sixty-three days ago, Jake DeBrusk put himself in rare company — becoming just the third Bruins rookie to score two goals in a Game 7 (Craig Janney, 1988 / Brad Marchand, 2011) en route to Boston’s 7-4 triumph over the Maple Leafs at TD Garden.

DeBrusk’s late-game heroics, headlined by a go-ahead tally delivered at 5:25 in the final stanza, capped off a memorable postseason debut in which the then 21-year-old winger lit the lamp five times against Toronto over a seven-game series.

But it’s a new year and a new set of challenges in 2019. Even though both Original Six clubs feature plenty of the same returning cast in this first-round rematch, DeBrusk was frank when discussing his current mindset a few hours ahead of puck drop on Tuesday.

For him, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first Game 7 or your 40th — the same mix of excitement and anticipation remains ever present.

“You’re really excited to skate on the ice and play in a Game 7 and you dream about it your whole life,” DeBrusk said. “And also that nervousness comes with it. It crept in a little bit last night and it still is there. I think from last year, I understand it’s a different Game 7, a completely different scene, but I think the biggest thing that I take from last year is feeling the same kind of way I feel right now — what I kind of did to combat that and I’m just going to try to do the same thing so I’m ready to go for tonight.”

One luxury that DeBrusk and the rest of Boston’s younger crop of skaters have at their disposal? The stalwarts in the B’s locker room that have seen their fair share of triumph — and heartbreak — in win-or-go-home scenarios.



DeBrusk recalled the stern message delivered by Boston’s veteran core during the second intermission of last year’s Game 7 — with the B’s entering the third period mired in a one-goal deficit. The team certainly listened to whatever Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron had to say, as Boston scored four unanswered goals in the third to close out the win.

“When you think last year as a rookie and even this year — they won a Stanley Cup for a reason and they have such high character,” DeBrusk said of the veterans in the B’s locker room. “We always talk about it. It sounds cliche at this point, but it’s really true. Those guys have a calming effect. Said a couple words in intermission last year and everyone was on board. We all believed and just followed their lead and it got us the win.”

Boston’s roster, as constituted, boasts six different players that have hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup — Chara, Bergeron, David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Brad Marchand and Joakim Nordstrom. Along with capturing the NHL’s top prize, Boston’s go-to options are also battle-tested in Game 7 situations — with Chara set to tie Hall of Famers Patrick Roy and Scott Stevens for the most Game 7 appearances in league history at 13 when he takes to the ice on Tuesday night.

Among active players that have appeared in Game-7 situations, Boston once again is well-represented at the top:

Most Game 7 Appearances, Active

Zdeno Chara, BOS: 12
Nicklas Backstrom, WSH: 11
Alex Ovechkin, WSH: 11
Patrice Bergeron, BOS: 10
Chris Kunitz, CHI: 10
Milan Lucic, EDM: 10
David Krejci, BOS: 9
Valtteri Filppula, NYI: 9
Dan Girardi, TBL: 9
Mike Green, DET: 9
Carl Hagelin, WSH: 9
Anton Stralman, TBL: 9

Down the other end of the sheet, a young Leafs club has plenty of pressure mounting on its shoulders. Toronto has not won a playoff series since 2004, and with the addition of a 47-goal scorer in John Tavares this past summer, another early exit would be a step back for a team built for a deep playoff run — especially now with Tampa Bay out of the picture. Toronto has a pair of players on the blue line who have won a Cup in Ron Hainsey and Jake Muzzin, but if the Leafs want to battle the Blue Jackets next week, it’s going to need youngsters like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to lead the way.

Anything can happen in a Game 7, with one pouncing puck or fumble at the blue line potentially ending another season full of promise for both the Bruins and Leafs.

The nerves will be there, for sure. But Cassidy doesn’t need to divert too much energy when it comes to getting his players focused for Tuesday’s bout. Most of the men in the B’s locker room already know what’s at stake. And if some need a bit more reinforcement in that regard, the vets will make it known, loud and clear.

“I don’t want to over-message, other than, listen — you've got to enjoy the moment, and you've got to play and if you make a mistake, then you gotta put it behind you and you’ve got to keep playing,” Cassidy said. “You have to have more will than the guy across from you, is pretty much the message that we give.”