Ex-Leafs star says Game 7 collapse vs. Bruins will "haunt" players forever
When the Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice tonight against the Boston Bruins, it’ll be the 24th time they’ve faced off against their longtime rivals in the postseason since 2013.
And while the Leafs have gone 0-3 in previous series against the Bruins in this century — and haven’t beat Boston in the playoffs since 1959 — there’s one player still suiting up in the series who knows the pain better than most.
While Toronto no longer has any players on its roster who suited up for the team’s infamous Game 7 loss against Boston in 2013, Boston forward James van Riemsdyk spent six seasons with the Leafs, facing the Bruins twice in the playoffs.
And despite it being almost 11 years since the Leafs had one of the NHL’s most historic collapses in its 100-plus-year history — blowing a 4-1 lead in the third period of Game 7 before falling in overtime — the man they call “JVR” admits it still stings a little bit.
“That Game 7 will be one that will kinda haunt anyone on that team probably for the rest of their life,” van Riemsdyk said today, as per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.
James van Riemsdyk looks to enter the series.
He reflected on how Bruins-Leafs ended in 2013: "That Game 7 will be one that will kinda haunt anyone on that team probably for the rest of their life."
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 24, 2024
From 2013 through 2018, van Riemsdyk put up 154 goals and 140 assists in 413 games for the Leafs while putting up seven goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games.
Leaving Toronto in free agency in 2018, he then returned to the Philadelphia Flyers — the team who initially drafted him at second overall and traded him to the Leafs in 2013 for Luke Schenn — on a five-year contract.
In his first season with the Bruins, the 34-year-old van Riemsdyk has scored 11 goals and 27 assists in 71 games. However, he was held out of each of the team’s first two playoff games.
Boston won the opening game of this year’s series by a score of 5-1 before Toronto stormed back to a 3-2 win on Monday night to tie things up at one win apiece.
Puck drop for tonight’s contest is set for 7 pm ET.
Leafs 2024 first-round playoff schedule
- Game 3: Wednesday, April 24, Boston at Toronto, 7 pm ET
- Game 4: Saturday, April 27, Boston at Toronto, 8 pm ET
- Game 5: Tuesday, April 30, Toronto at Boston, TBD
- Game 6: Thursday, May 2, Boston at Toronto, TBD*
- Game 7: Saturday, May 4, Toronto at Boston, TBD*
*if necessary
Follow Channels and Categories