Bruins face 'pinnacle of all things urgent' in Game 7 vs. Maple Leafs

BOSTON -- The margin for error is gone.

The Boston Bruins no longer have any room left to make mistakes, no room for slow starts or botched passes or hesitancy.

They have only one game. Game 7.

“You just meet it head on,” defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “You don’t run from it.”

The desperation that was all on the side of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who were facing elimination in Games 5 and 6 and won each, has now come to Boston with the teams set to play in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round at TD Garden on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).

For each side, it’s now or never.

One of the biggest issues for the Bruins in the past two games has been starting slow, not getting to their game until well into the second period. It happened in Game 5. It happened again in Game 6.

They know it can’t happen in Game 7.

“I think we could definitely use a little bit more urgency, for sure,” forward Morgan Geekie said. “I think we’re all trying to find that line and lots of times in this series I feel like we’ve kind of gotten away from that. Tonight, obviously, is the pinnacle of all things urgent.”

Shattenkirk said he understood the reasons why Boston came out slowly in those games. There wasn’t the same desperation Toronto had, and there was =the luxury of another game and another and another. That no longer exists.

“It’s hard to fight that feeling of you’re protecting a lead in a series when you go up like that,” Shattenkirk said. “We got to our game. It took us maybe a period or so to build our game. Tonight we have to come out with that mindset that we’re going to build it and get right to it from the drop of the puck.”

Shattenkirk said he hadn’t seen anyone come in nervous Saturday, no one gripping sticks too tightly or overwhelmed by the situation. It was a sentiment echoed around the room.

“I think calm, sort of cool confidence is what we’re trying to go for,” defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “We know what’s in front of us. We know what lies right in front of us and what we need to do.”

The Bruins have plenty of players who have been here before, led by captain Brad Marchand, who is set to play his 12th career Game 7, tied for most among active players. Only four players have played more, 14 for former teammates Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara and 13 for defenseman Scott Stevens and goalie Patrick Roy. But 16 players on the Bruins, 15 skaters and Jeremy Swayman, have played a Game 7 before.

They changed up a few things ahead of Game 7, including holding their morning skate at TD Garden instead of their practice rink, Warrior Ice Arena. Montgomery said there were other changes, ones not as visible.

But mostly they just need to take advantage of the situation, knowing that they have faced adversity this season, that they have gotten through it and pulled each other out of it, something they didn’t really have last season, at least not until they were faced with a Game 7 against the Florida Panthers and, by then, it was too late, when they lost the deciding game 4-3 at home in overtime.

The same thing has happened to the Bruins as did last season, going from a 3-1 series advantage to a 3-3 series tie and a Game 7. But, now, they’ve been here before. They have the experience and the perspective.

“It’s an opportunity for us to go out there and just play our game,” Pat Maroon said. “Play it the right way, play it simple, play it hard.”

And enjoy the moment, embrace it. Take it to the Maple Leafs, right from the start.

“Anytime you get to play in a Game 7, it’s special,” Geekie said. Obviously no one ever wants to be in this situation, but I think this is where you see a lot of players rise to the occasion and I think we’ve got a lot of guys in this room that are excited and ready for the challenge.”

It’s something they’ve been dreaming of, their whole lives.

“You don’t ever dream of Games 1s and 2s in your backyard,” Geekie said. “We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight.”