By the numbers: What the stats say ahead of Leafs, Bruins series decider
Game 7: The moment we've all been waiting for.
And if the intrigue of a winner-takes-all game isn't enough, this first-round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins is the only one to go the distance in these 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. So the entirety of the NHL world will be watching.
The puck drops one last time Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET between the Maple Leafs and Bruins, with the eventual winner earning a date with the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2.
Here's a look at some notable numbers ahead of the game:
5: Of the 14 Game 7s the Maple Leafs have played all time on the road, just five have ended in victory. The Maple Leafs' last Game 7 as the visitors, of course, came in Boston in 2013. We all know how that ended.
12: There are more than a few familiar faces who witnessed Boston's epic comeback win five years ago, counting eight Bruins and four Maple Leafs. For the Bruins, that includes Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Adam McQuaid, and Torey Krug, plus netminders Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin. Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov, Jake Gardiner, and James van Riemsdyk are back in familiar territory for the Maple Leafs. (Tyler Bozak was there, too, but watching from the press box that night.)
12: Wednesday marks the 12th Game 7 for Chara, the most among active NHLers. The Bruins captain sits just one back of Patrick Roy and Chris Chelios for the all-time mark.
13: Typically unlucky, but it's also the number of times the Bruins have come away victorious in Game 7. Even more impressive, 12 of those wins have come in their own barn.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
14: It's been a decade and change since the Maple Leafs won a playoff round, with their last coming against the Ottawa Senators in 2004.
26: Wednesday's match marks the Bruins' 26th all-time Game 7, surpassing the Detroit Red Wings for the most in NHL history.
31.6: Boston's power-play efficiency in the opening round, which trails only the Washington Capitals at 33.3. One piece of advice to the Maple Leafs? Take no penalties.
41: Not all hockey games require only 60 minutes, as 41 Game 7s have gone to overtime to decide a winner.
99: Usually Wayne Gretzky, but in this case it's the number of wins for the home team in the 169 all-time Game 7s. Good news if you're a Bruins fan.
126: Score first and you'll like your odds, as the team to first find the back of the net has won 126 of the 169 Game 7s in NHL history. That's a win rate of nearly 75 percent.
(Statistics courtesy: NHL PR)