It was do or die last night in Boston. The Maple Leafs had battled back by taking Games 5 and 6 to force a deciding seventh game against the Bruins.

There was a lot riding on the line. If Boston lost, they would’ve become the first team in playoff history to blow 3-1 series leads in consecutive years. If Toronto lost, it would’ve been another colossal failure for one of the league’s most talented teams.

For over two periods, there was no score. After the Bruins controlled most of the first period, it was all Leafs in the second period. They dominated the puck possession and had some quality chances to score.

Jeremy Swayman was outstanding in stopping all 12 shots in the second. That included a huge save on William Nylander.  It was set up by Matthew Knies after a Charlie McAvoy turnover at the Leafs’ blue line. Swayman faced enormous pressure. In a series where he was the best player, the Bruins netminder gave his team a chance to avoid making history.

The third period was tightly contested. Just when the Bruins had momentum, they got scored on. Tyler Bertuzzi stole the puck in the corner. Then Auston Matthews came out and passed across for an easy Nylander one-timer past Swayman to give the Leafs the lead with 10:59 left.

It felt over. The Leafs had defended so well in front of Ilya Samsonov that it looked exactly like the last two games. The only difference was that Joseph Woll was in the net. Unfortunately, he came down with an injury late in Game 6. That forced Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe to start Samsonov.

Matthews was a bigger story. He’d missed the last two games with an injury. He exited Game 4 early due to an illness. At least that was what was relayed. However, Keefe revealed that the Leafs’ superstar got hurt. He returned for Game 7. Even at less than full strength, he made things happen. It was his setup that led to Nylander’s third goal in two games.

Following Nylander’s tally, the Bruins finally got desperate. Playing for their playoff lives, a strong shift from the third line led to Hampus Lindholm scoring the tying goal 81 seconds later.

After a close call with a Justin Brazeau shot just deflecting over the top of the Leafs’ net, James van Riemsdyk fed Lindholm, who was able to beat Samsonov from a tough angle with a good shot that went short side inside the goalpost. That tied the score with 9:38 left in regulation.

The Leafs only had one shot over the next nine minutes. The tables were reversed. It was the Bruins who were more aggressive. They nearly had the go-ahead goal. David Pastrnak was all set up, but his one-timer from the slot missed over the top with Samsonov scrambling.

As the clock wound down, it looked like the Leafs were content to take their chances in overtime. They won Game 5 that way. But with seconds to spare, Nylander had a pass bank off a Bruin towards the net. An alert Swayman made a great save to deny what would’ve been an own goal at the buzzer.

Sudden death didn’t take long to decide. Knies made an early bid to end it, but Swayman made the clutch save. The Leafs wouldn’t threaten again.

On a Brandon Carlo outlet, Lindholm was in the neutral zone when he made a great read. He threw a bank pass off the wall that a speeding Pastrnak collected to get behind Morgan Rielly for a clean break-in on Samsonov. Called out by coach Jim Montgomery after Game 6, he faked to the forehand and went to the backhand on a deke to win the game for the Bruins at 61:54.

It was a great move and finish by one of the game’s best goal scorers. Pastrnak entered with just two goals. He delivered in the clutch to win the series for Boston.

For the Leafs, it was another crushing defeat. They always seem to wind up on the wrong side in these big spots. Especially against the Bruins. They’ll have all summer to wonder how they came up short. They looked like the better team. Even with the injuries that limited Nylander, Matthews, and kept Woll out of Game 7.

Unlike their past first round failures, this wasn’t a choke. It was a different set of circumstances. With their backs to the wall, the Leafs fought hard to get back in the series. They overcame the loss of Matthews to force Game 7. They struggled to score goals against Swayman, who was brilliant. But they defended much better to make it tough on the Bruins.

Ironically, Keefe coached well. He made adjustments to help the Leafs play better defensively. They looked organized. Joel Edmundson was very strong on the blue line. They allowed both Woll and Samsonov to see most of the shots.

But on the Pastrnak series clincher, it was a total breakdown. The Leafs’ best players got caught napping. They were turned the wrong way on the Lindholm dump in off the boards. That included both Rielly and Mitch Marner, who again didn’t distinguish himself in the postseason. They were the biggest culprits on the Pastrnak overtime winner. They got beat badly.

Now, a long off-season awaits for a franchise that hasn’t advanced past the second round in 22 years. The Leafs will make changes to a core that’s been in place for a while. The likely candidates to get moved are Marner and John Tavares. Both have no-trade clauses. There are two years remaining on their contracts.

Toronto has waited over five decades to see a winner. The Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967. It’s now up to 57 years (56 seasons) without one. At some point, that has to change.

Keefe is likely to lose his job. He couldn’t get the Leafs over the hump. Toronto should be in the market for a new coach.

As for the Bruins, they advanced to the second round. They’ll face the Panthers. The same team that broke Boston hearts by coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to win in the first round last year. The Panthers went on a run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. They lost to the Golden Knights.

Boston will be seeking revenge. The question is, what do they have left? The first round series against Toronto was very competitive. It was a real battle. By the conclusion, they looked slow. They can’t be against the high flying Panthers.

Considering the talent and depth Florida has, they should prevail. We’ll see what Boston comes up with.