FACEOFF: Inside the NHL (2024) s01e01 Episode Script

1
[cheering]
[interviewer] And you thrive
under pressure, right?
[suspenseful music playing]
[crowd cheers]
I try to.
[Redmond]
Hockey players are the toughest.
They're warriors.
[grunting]
[announcer] Oh, my goodness.
They're going at it.
[Redmond]
The game's faster than ever.
It's younger than ever.
And they embrace
this lifestyle that they get to live.
-Dinner's on me if you want it.
-[laughing]
[Redmond] But all the best players,
they want more.
They care about one thing.
Winning.
[player]
It's our fucking moment, boys!
This is for greatness
This is for glory ♪
[Bissonnette] Thirty-two teams
start the season, 16 make playoffs.
Best of seven, four rounds, 16 wins,
and then you get to hoist Lord Stanley.
I'll be the greatest ♪
There's always that pressure.
It's the hardest trophy in sports to win.
I always said, if I won, I was gonna get
the Stanley Cup tattoo, so
[McDavid] You'd be hard-pressed
to find a tougher league.
The league is very fortunate right now
to have kind of an embarrassment of riches
of how many good players there are.
But I know when I'm at my best,
it's a tough level to match.
[Tkachuk] Maybe outside
there's not as much pressure,
but when you get in between
the walls of our locker room,
we have more pressure on ourselves
than anybody.
That's not fucking good enough!
It's the fucking finals!
Dig the fuck in!
Right fucking now!
[Blackburn]
Hockey players are a different breed,
what they put themselves through
physically and mentally.
[Swayman] I want to treat every game
as if it was my last,
because you really don't know
what the hell could happen.
In terms of identity,
you've only ever really had one job.
If that's taken away from me,
then who am I?
[Trouba]
Success is measured in rings and Cups,
and a lot of guys don't end up at the end.
[Pastrnak] I've been in finals,
been in the wrong side.
I was heartbroken.
Just come with a hunger and wanting more.
Yeah!
[Nylander] You're going into war.
You want to just put it all out there.
That's what the glory is
for the Stanley Cup.
We're going straight to the top ♪
[player] Whoo-hoo! Let's go!
[Bissonnette] Being a superstar,
with the weight of the world
on the shoulders,
they need to slay the dragon.
Straight to the top
Straight to the top ♪
Straight to the top ♪
[Nylander] When I first got drafted,
I had no clue how big Toronto was.
So I didn't know the extent of how big
the Leafs Nation was
Just go for a walk
this morning with the dogs.
There's a guy driving by, yells my name
and stops, wants to come take a picture.
Everybody cares. They know the scores.
They know what happened.
Hello, how are you doing?
How's it going?
[Nylander]
It's just a part of everyday life.
If you go to a different team,
you've probably experienced
what other guys experience.
But this is our normal for us.
I can't believe I forgot the leashes.
[man] He never brings them anywhere,
I don't know what he's talking about.
[all laugh]
[Nylander] This is all we know.
This makes it extra special,
and more pressure.
[Bissonnette]
Hockey's a religion in Toronto,
and people bleed blue.
But it's this built-up emotion
because they want to win so bad.
At some point it's about to pop.
[Redmond] Toronto is the pressure cooker
that it is for two reasons.
The fans are absolute die-hards.
The fans believe they can win every year.
And we have the superstar
core four in Toronto.
Auston Matthews.
[announcer]
And Auston Matthews, the 60-goal club!
First Leaf ever.
[Redmond]
Marner.
[announcer]
Into the middle. Centers. Scores!
[announcer 2] That was vintage Marner.
[Redmond] Tavares.
[announcer] The captain
has the icebreaker tonight.
[Redmond] Nylander.
[announcer]
Nylander for the win scores!
[man] Let's go!
[announcer]
88 down at the gates!
[Redmond]
They are generational talents,
and the heart of that team
and that franchise.
Every single thing they do
is heavily reported on,
scrutinized depending on how things go.
Mix that with the fact
that the team hasn't seen
a Stanley Cup in 57 years,
and you can understand why the fan base
is overly sensitive
to what they see on the ice.
[Bissonnette]
The Leafs, the past few years,
they have an incredible regular season.
[announcer]
The Leafs have won their seventh straight.
[Bissonnette] And then they lose
in the playoffs year over year.
[announcer] Déjà blue again.
[Bissonnette]
Ultimately, all the fans care about
is an opportunity
to win the Stanley Cup.
Most people look to William Nylander
to bring them to the promised land.
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer] William Nylander!
[Bissonnette] He's always so calm,
cool and composed
in these high-intensity situations.
[announcer] Scores!
[Bissonnette] He's the total package.
[Redmond]
This year, the pressure is different
because William Nylander signed
the largest contract
in Toronto Maple Leafs history.
Congratulations are in order here.
Willy's committed to us
for eight more years.
[applause]
[Knies] Eight more!
Where are you buying me dinner?
[Redmond] With the money,
the spotlight, especially in Toronto,
comes endless pressure.
[broadcaster 1]
Eight years, $92 million contract.
[broadcaster 2]
This better be him now.
Because if it goes down a level
after this,
I'm telling you the way
this is gonna go amongst Leafs Nation.
[Redmond] The stakes are as high as ever
for William Nylander.
How do you prove to everyone
that you're worth it?
How do you prove you're the guy
who can erase the history of losing?
[player]
Let's go! Gotta fucking execute!
Let's go!
We'll see.
[Nylander] From a young age,
my mindset was just like,
"I'm gonna do what my dad did."
Work really hard,
and I'm gonna play in the NHL.
It was right there,
so the dream didn't feel so, like, crazy.
[announcer] Nylander scores!
[Nylander] My dad,
he played on six, seven teams,
so, like, he could be traded
in the middle of the school year.
So for me, like, to just, you know,
pack up and go somewhere else,
that was kind of like normal.
How many goals have you scored this year?
You're not supposed to ask that question.
[both laugh]
[Nylander] This place is the only place
that's been home for me.
Like, I've never spent so much time
in one place in my entire life.
Which is pretty crazy.
Hello.
You guys having fun?
Saw you guys scoring some goals.
Yeah?
Hello. Hello. Hello. How you doing?
Shooting was my favorite when I was a kid.
Yeah, if you guys are having fun,
that's the best.
That's the most important.
You're very welcome to skate with them.
Do you want me Do you want
Should I go on the ice with them or what?
[man] It's up to you, man.
[Nylander]
I actually have some in the car.
-[boys] Yeah!
-Yeah?
[boy] Are we allowed slashing?
[laughs]
What do we play to? First to three?
Okay, and how can you score?
Just score the net?
-[boys] Yeah.
-[Nylander] Okay.
Ah!
Ah!
I can't say that I've been to, like,
Real Madrid or Barcelona
or any Premier League games.
But, I mean, how invested people are
in those teams,
and how much they care,
that's how it is here.
People really care.
If I lose, I'm upset. I'm pissed.
They're the same way.
They didn't even play.
No way!
Outside factors are great
that it's there and so many people care,
but I have my own pressure,
I have my goals.
I know what I want to accomplish.
We both want the same thing.
Oh, one versus one!
What you gonna do?
Whoa!
I came in here
when I was 18 years old.
It has taught me a lot.
I mean, I've become a man in Toronto.
It's made me who I am.
To have that, you're battling
even harder than when you were before.
[Pastrnak] We need to see some fish
and see some penguins.
[Rebecca] If you're lucky,
there's gonna be seals.
[Pastrnak] Yeah.
This is my ten year here.
I've been living in the same neighborhood
since I got here, so
Freya, should we wait a little bit?
A lot of people, like,
are so used to seeing me,
and it's a great neighborhood.
Very European, actually.
So it makes it even more special
to feel more like home.
Thank you. Enjoy your stay in Boston.
I grew up in Czech Republic,
in a small city called Havířov.
I got here when I was 18.
[Rebecca] Look!
[Pastrnak] It became our home,
and I'm raising my family here.
Little stinky penguins, huh?
Are they stinky?
And, you know, I couldn't be happier.
[baby babbling]
Let's go to the seals? Okay, boss.
[Rebecca laughs]
[announcer] Cleared it, but not out.
Bobby Orr behind the net to Sanderson.
Orr! Bobby Orr!
[Blackburn]
The Bruins, in their own right,
are an extremely storied franchise.
To wear that iconic "B" on your chest
comes with a lot of history and tradition,
in a very proud
and very blue-collar hockey town.
There's nobody better to represent
this team than David Pastrnak.
He's a 60-goal superstar.
[announcer 1] Down in front,
Pastrnak between the legs!
And he scores! My goodness!
[announcer 2]
Pastrnak for the hat trick.
Goal!
[Blackburn] He's the highest-paid player
on the Bruins
Yeah!
[Blackburn] a family man off the ice.
Pasta has really emerged
as a leader on the Bruins
and a face of the franchise.
[man] Pasta, Pasta.
[Rebecca chuckles]
[Rebecca]
I did not expect that!
[Pastrnak] Fans are so passionate
about their sports here,
and there is a high standard.
You know, there's a lot of pressure.
Oh, he's so cute.
I feel very fortunate and honored
to be part of the city and community,
and, you know, help grow hockey.
And they are a big part
of why you want to win the championship.
There's no doubt.
[distant police siren]
[Nylander]
So Pasta's coming in tonight.
We've been like good friends
for like a long time,
since we were, like, young, you know?
We kind of knew that we had a special,
like, talent to get somewhere.
So we've kind of been like,
I think, inspiring each other, maybe,
in some ways to just keep getting better.
[Pastrnak] I moved to Sweden
when I was 15, turning around 16.
Oh boy, I was not prepared, you know,
obviously going to different country
with learning languages and the culture.
The hardest part was for sure learning
how to cook or survive, honestly, and eat.
My mom had three jobs,
so that was definitely
a hard transition for me.
Hello, hey. Come in and welcome.
[interviewer] So, what do you like most
in the fridge here?
Most in the fridge?
Probably
meatballs.
I don't know how it called. Called skinka.
[Nylander] Played on a team in Sweden,
called Södertälje.
Like, we couldn't talk to each other
because he couldn't speak English.
I couldn't speak Czech.
But we had this amazing
chemistry on the ice.
[interviewer] Can you describe
the chemistry between you two?
Oh, I think it's always been there.
And that's where our relationship started.
-Hello!
-Pasta, what are you doing?
-Where is the crowd?
-Wake up! The game's not till Thursday.
Oh yes.
[Pastrnak]
He was so much better than me at that age.
[announcer speaking foreign language]
[Pastrnak] So I could see it for him.
He's gonna be for sure drafted.
I've learned so much from him.
Definitely one of my happiest memories.
But one of my hardest.
I was 17 when my dad passed away.
So there was definitely, you know,
some tough times I was going through.
I spent a lot of time in the rink,
you know, with Willy.
I just tried to be there
as long as I could,
you know, before going back home
to an empty apartment.
Don't want to be mourning alone.
And so going to the rink,
practicing and just trying to get better.
I just want to play for him now.
[Nylander]
Having to live through that,
let alone being in a completely
different country away from your family
and have to deal with that, um
Yeah, incredible.
It's like that friendship
that you have with a buddy
that we don't see each other for months,
and then you see each other for dinner
and you sit down and you talk,
and it's like you have been
with each other every day.
Ah!
-You busy today?
-Yeah.
[speaking foreign language]
Hey!
Yeah fucking right, let's go!
[announcer] Pastrnak to Geekie!
And he scores!
[Pastrnak] We're better, boys.
[Nylander] We're fucking fine.
[Pastrnak] How is the season going,
by the way?
-Pretty good?
-Good. We gotta win. Like, it's tight.
-Yeah. The standings.
-The standings are tight, yeah.
[announcer]
And from a sharp angle, stopped.
Lobs it in front, scores!
[Nylander] Ah, for fuck's sake.
[Pastrnak] Wow, that was pretty, boys.
[Pastrnak] Right now,
we play together in the playoffs.
-We're gonna play each other?
-You guys are third and we are second now.
-Well, who's first? Florida?
-Florida. Yeah, they just jumped us.
[Nylander] That'll be fun.
Yeah. They're always fun.
Toronto/Boston, huh?
[Nylander] Yeah, just 'cause you guys win
all the time.
For us, every time we have lost
it's been so shit.
Fuck me.
[Pastrnak] Another dub, baby.
-[Swayman] Job well done baby. I love you.
-[Pastrnak] You're sick. You're so sick.
[announcer]
Boston come away with a 4-1 win.
[Pastrnak]
It doesn't matter in the end, you know?
If you don't get the Cup, it doesn't
matter who moves on from the first round.
[Luftman]
The excitement is already building
as we count down
to the start of the postseason,
and the Eastern Conference field is set.
Bruins/Maple Leafs. How about this one?
It feels like we get this every year.
There's certainly some history there.
-[announcer 1] He scores!
-[crowd cheers]
[announcer 2] A seventh-game win
against Toronto again.
[Bissonnette] This is a Boston Bruins team
that has established a winning culture
for many, many, many years,
and one that I think
that Toronto is trying to get to.
Boston Bruins are the standard.
[announcer 3]
Toronto trying to exorcise some demons.
Last three times these teams
have met in the playoffs,
Boston has prevailed
in seven games each
[Bissonnette] If Toronto wants
to make a big run,
which they haven't done
in a long, long time,
they need to slay the dragon.
[Blackburn] An 82-game season
is a grind in and of itself.
But then you get to the playoffs,
and it's basically like the start
of a brand-new season.
[Bissonnette]
Thirty-two teams start the season,
16 make playoffs.
Best of seven, four rounds, 16 wins,
and then you get to hoist Lord Stanley.
[Pastrnak] You want to be at your best
starting the playoffs,
and obviously
there's a lot of things to it.
You have to be lucky.
You have to be healthy.
You know, obviously your body
needs to keep up.
-Hello. How are you?
-I'm good. Good luck.
Thank Thank you. Thank you.
[Pastrnak] I love this group.
I'm ready to go to the war with them.
And we can't wait
to get this playoff started.
All right, here we go.
Game 1, guys.
[Nylander] Look, come playoff time,
the game's different.
Not maybe giving 98% or 100%,
I mean, could lead to a goal.
So everything just is turned up a notch.
So you just gotta be ready to battle
and compete every night.
[Matthews]
The stakes are higher.
The energy and the atmosphere
and just everything going into it.
The intensity levels and all that stuff
can obviously bring out that passion
[yelling]
which is what you need.
[grunts]
[broadcaster]
This goes to the old-age story.
When it gets down into the gutter
and becomes a street fight,
can the Maple Leafs and Nylander,
can they answer?
Of the brave ♪
[crowd cheers]
[announcer]
Familiar foes, Boston and Toronto.
Opening face-off moments away.
It's Game 1.
They were getting going for
a big playoff run, and then Game 1.
William Nylander
will not be in the lineup.
I mean, my jaw dropped to the floor.
[announcer 1]
No William Nylander. He is out tonight.
[announcer 2] With no Nylander,
this is a much
different-looking team offensively.
[Pastrnak]
Couple hours before the game,
I see their lineup written on the board,
and he wasn't there.
Obviously it's a big advantage
for our team, you know,
because they definitely miss him.
[Redmond] You're back in another
series with the Boston Bruins,
trying to exorcise your demons.
And unexpectedly,
your most consistent playoff performer
of the last handful of years
is not in the lineup,
and we don't know why.
[announcer]
The playoffs are underway.
[Bissonnette]
They got no Nylander in the lineup.
That is a huge, huge loss.
[announcer] Two on one for Boston.
Cross ice, score! Beecher!
One-nothing, Boston!
And then, boom, the letdown.
[announcer]
Back out, shot by Carlo Scores!
Two-nothing, Boston!
Boston with a shot Scores!
[crowd cheers]
On the power play!
It's now three-nothing, Boston.
What is going on?
[announcer]
And they are going to take Game 1.
-Great game, Bulldog. Great fucking save.
-Let's go, baby.
[Pastrnak] Let's go, that's one.
I thought, like,
he might miss one game and then play.
It surprised me.
Nobody knew what was happening.
[man] One of your premier
top-notch players,
after just playing 82 games?
What the hell were we doing here?
We don't even know
what's going on with him.
[Pastrnak]
I knew he was battling some injuries.
You know, I obviously felt
really bad for him that he couldn't play.
It's not easy
to play in Toronto, you know.
There's a lot of pressure,
a lot of media.
Couldn't be easy for him.
[man] No Nylander!
The expectations are so high for Nylander.
That's what the money is for.
Hey! Hey!
You're all here for my suffering!
And this helps keep the show going,
so you knock it off!
[man screams]
[Bissonnette] Game 2.
[announcer]
No William Nylander for the Leafs tonight.
Hashtag "Where's Willy?"
[announcer] They got to get one
here in Boston, that's for sure.
The big one is in Game 2.
[Bissonnette]
Then all of a sudden, Matthews.
[announcer] Flipping it ahead.
He's got Matthews.
In, and he scores!
Go-ahead goal.
And the Leafs have won Game 2.
[man] Why is he not in the series?
Why is he not playing?
That's being hidden behind lock and key.
[reporter] Sheldon, what, if anything,
can you tell us about Willy's status?
Nothing.
-[reporter] Is he playing?
-Nothing.
[man 1] Why does it have to be the Leafs
that have this drama?
Like, why does it have to be
William Nylander
that has this huge, mysterious
question mark about what's going on?
No one will tell.
Everyone's trying to find out.
They're so tight-lipped about it.
[Bissonnette] He hasn't missed a game
due to health since 2016.
Where the fuck is William Nylander?
[announcer] With a split in Boston,
the Maple Leafs bring home ice advantage
back to Toronto.
Tiebreaking Game 3,
tonight at Scotiabank.
[Nylander] Game 1,
I have never been so nervous in my life.
The start, like, I couldn't sit still.
Just, like, "What's going on?
Oh shit! Oh, fuck! Shit."
And I'm, like, Game 2, this is better now.
So I guess I got used
to watching the game.
I haven't watched a game in a while.
I can't wait to play.
In the second-to-last game of the season,
I had a migraine.
A severe migraine.
Played the next night.
Still had the migraine symptoms
and everything.
Like, you can see, but like if you'd
tell me to read something,
I'd have a hard time reading it.
And we were extra cautious
in case it could have been
a concussion or whatever.
At that point in time,
it wasn't like a question of
can I play or can I not play?
It was just like, I'm not playing.
My mindset was turning into like more of a
fan, like cheering for the guys.
Like, "Let's fucking go."
Yeah, it was tough,
but also knowing how I was feeling,
like, I wouldn't have been
of any help either.
Go, go, go, go!
We've had a lot of chances like that.
[player] Hey! Hey!
[announcer] Traffic in front, a dangerous
look from Pastrnak, and Tavares
-Come on!
-[announcer] Got Edmundson on the move.
[Nylander]
Come on, come on, come on.
[announcer]
Into the middle. Centers! Scores!
Oh, yeah! Whoo!
-[crowd cheering]
-[announcer] A great feed to Marner.
[Nylander] There we go.
[announcer] Bertuzzi down.
And away goes Frederic. Scores!
-[man] Oh, my God. Are you kidding me?
-[Nylander] Fuck me!
Fuck me, let's get one
on the power play now.
[announcer]
Max Domi's got it. Off the blocker.
Riley in front! Scores!
Yes!
[announcer] It's 2-2.
[all cheering]
The building's alive now.
Here's a chance. Marchand scores!
No way.
[announcer] Eighteen seconds later
[man]
Are you fucking kidding me?
[player] Yeah! Let's go!
[Nylander] It sucks, like, not being able
to support the guys and be out there
and be battling with them.
[announcer]
An extra day before Game 4.
You wonder if that buoyed
William Nylander's return to the lineup.
But these tight games,
how big a difference would 88 have made?
[Nylander] It's your team.
You want to win, and then you lose.
And it's just like, okay,
then you start having negative thoughts.
All right, it's 2-1.
We have to win this next game.
Don't want to go to Boston down 3-1.
I think just stay on, for as long as
you feel comfortable staying on for.
[Nylander] I feel pretty good.
[Subban] In playoffs,
guys aren't playing hurt.
They're playing injured.
And they want to.
That's what the glory is
for the Stanley Cup.
It's all about playing through pain.
[Nylander]
I hadn't played in a little bit,
and, you know,
you always have those nerves.
You're going into war again.
Either you win or you lose.
You always want to win.
You want to just put it all out there.
[announcer] pokes it free,
Van Riemsdyk scores!
[Pastrnak] Yeah! Wow, what a play!
What a play, baby!
[Nylander] We fucking want it more, boys!
[announcer]
There's Marchand in the pads.
A shot Pastrnak! He scores!
[Pastrnak] What a play, baby.
[Marchand] Fuck yeah.
-[crowd booing]
-[announcer] And the fans booing now.
The pressure builds on the Leafs,
down in the series and now down three.
[Bissonnette]
Game 4, with all this drama
surrounding the series
with Willy missing games.
[Nylander] Fucking give me
the fucking puck.
[announcer] The backhander, and the save!
Ah, fuck!
[Bissonnette]
You just see frustration was mounting,
as it does in high-pressure situations.
Especially when it's the core four,
when you're losing.
Tick, tick, boom.
Hey, be ready for the fucking one-T, okay?
[Nylander] When it means more,
I shift a little bit.
Hey! I'll stay above him, yeah?
I think I become a different person
in those moments.
Hey! Hey!
Go, go.
If you're that into the game,
you just want to win
and get each other going.
Whatever you need to do.
Just fucking shoot it.
Stop fucking crying, bro.
This is the fucking issue.
You guys fucking bitch about shit.
Let's fucking go.
That's just showing
in a high-pressure situation,
everybody wants more from themselves
and from their team.
[Pastrnak] Let's go.
[announcer] They win the game 3-1.
They lead the series three games to one.
[Nylander]
Everybody's a little frustrated.
You know, that's what happens.
You get on each other and you get into it.
Sometimes it happens, and nobody's
gonna be upset after the game.
We're best friends. We wanted to win.
[Friedman] Marner, Matthews, Nylander,
them snapping at each other on the bench.
There's only two ways to go.
One is you just completely falter
and you go down quietly.
Or two, you use it.
Now we're gonna prove
we're on the way back.
[suspenseful music playing]
[announcer]
David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins
trying to close out
the Toronto Maple Leafs here in overtime.
Tavares dekeing in on his off wing,
to the net!
Bobbling out front scores!
Matthew Knies has won it!
And the Leafs will take it back
to Game 6 in Toronto!
[player] That's what we're talking about,
baby! That's fucking right!
[host] Like, they knew
what everybody was saying about them,
and they found a way.
On Thursday night for Game 6
you're gonna have Boston,
which all of a sudden
has had trouble closing,
versus Toronto,
which can't win at home.
Like, something's gotta give
on Thursday night.
[Nylander] We knew we hadn't won
a game at home yet in the series.
So what do you have to lose?
We're down, backs against the wall.
I mean, if we win, we win.
We push it another game.
If we lose, we're done.
That was kind of my mindset.
Be prepared.
And, I mean, you're going into war.
Yeah, from coast to coast ♪
Doing that thing I love the most ♪
Had to disappear, but came ♪
That pressure makes diamonds ♪
And when I come out
I beat the finest ♪
Yeah, I'm hoping for clarity ♪
I keep on shining ♪
I keep on fighting myself
I know pressure makes diamonds ♪
[Bissonnette]
Sometimes, people want to scrutinize
the laid-back and happy approach,
like you don't have a care in the world.
But you need to carry that type
of confidence and attitude with you
in order to be able to perform
in those types of moments.
And if you're not getting it done,
you have to answer to the fan base
and the media.
Pressure makes the diamonds ♪
Pressure makes the diamonds
Let's go ♪
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer] The original six rivals
set for Game 6 in the Six,
each team wrestling
with its own ghosts and demons
that have tormented them
in recent history.
The Bruins have lost
five straight elimination games.
The Leafs trying to avoid
a fourth straight playoff exit
to Boston since 2013.
[dramatic music playing]
Scores!
-William Nylander!
-[crowd cheering]
Through traffic,
and the Leafs have the lead!
And William Nylander
electrifying the crowd here at Scotiabank.
[Nylander] I just owned you, bud!
And I was like,
"We need to get another goal
just to, like, make sure
that we are safe here."
[announcer]
The puck out for Knies.
Now Nylander, breakaway!
Nylander dekes!
Scores!
-[horn blows]
-[crowd cheering]
[Nylander]
Hit the breaker, I'm coming down.
I scored on him before with one move,
so I was thinking
maybe I'm gonna do that move.
And I have this other move
that I do sometimes.
I was thinking, "Okay, he might think
I'm doing that move."
So I just did something
completely different.
Whoo!
[announcer] The Leafs are gonna force
Game 7 in Boston, Saturday night.
[Nylander]
We're going to Boston, baby.
But then you're just on to the next game.
You're like, okay, super happy
for five minutes until the game's over,
and then, okay, now we got a Game 7.
[reporter]
Willy, you've been in some Game 7's.
What's it like to play in a Game 7?
Yeah, it's, uh It's special.
I don't know if we've won one yet,
so we're up to the test.
[reporters chuckle]
[man] How are you feeling?
[Nylander] I feel pretty good.
-[car horn honks]
-[people cheering]
[chuckles]
We still got to win one more game.
What's happened in the past
doesn't actually really matter.
It comes down to this one game, so
I can't tell you if I feel any way.
I'm obviously happy that we battled back
and made it 3-3.
But the next game is the
is the one.
I just think about it as, like,
it's playoffs.
And, I mean, I think everybody on our team
contributed to the win.
Like, it's not like one individual guy
making sure that we win the game.
So you want to step up
when there are big moments
and try to help your team
get the win for sure.
You know, that's why I love the dogs
because, you know, you come home.
You had a big game.
But it's time to take them out for a walk.
And that's all they care about.
So it's nice little reset coming home,
you know?
They don't care if you played like shit.
They don't care
if you played unbelievable.
They're just happy to see you.
[reporter] Do you need more
out of Pastrnak for Game 7?
Your best players need to be
your best players this time of year.
I think the effort is tremendous.
Pasta needs to step up.
[Bissonnette] I was actually shocked
that he called out Pasta individually.
[Montgomery] Thanks.
[Bissonnette] Pasta knew that he wasn't
performing up to what he's capable of.
He knew he had to bring
a big one in Game 7.
[Pastrnak] As soon as he said that,
he called me in for meeting, me and him.
We had a conversation.
"Just so you know,
in case you see it in the media,
I called you out."
I stopped him right there, I was like,
"I wasn't at my best game,
and I need to be better for you."
They got a line here.
Hi, Freya! Hi, Freya!
-[Pastrnak] Freya say, bye-bye.
-Bye, Freya.
Thank you. Bye, lady.
[chuckles] She's laughing.
-[Freya cooing]
-Yeah. Yeah.
This is my tenth season this year,
but the first season with a baby.
Game day routine has changed.
You know, I used to chill.
Or sleep way longer.
But now, like, I'd rather spend
a lot of time with Freya.
And especially at this early age, like,
scared of missing
the first steps or, you know,
the first words.
We lost our firstborn son.
Uh, his name is Viggo.
And he was only six days old.
So obviously, we have been through
some hard times in our life, and
And we are blessed
for every single day in this world
that with Freya and, you know,
her being healthy and everything.
So for sure it changed our lives.
You just sent a message and just, like,
tell him that you're there for him.
To battle through that,
I don't know how he did.
[bird wings beating]
It's player time, right, Freya?
You know, you mature real quick
when something like that
happens in your life.
Definitely opened my eyes.
Wow! Look at you!
Start recognizing
so much more than hockey.
Definitely wouldn't be
the same person I am today.
You know, not going through that stuff.
Ciao, ciao. Love you.
[giggles]
[siren wailing distantly]
[ominous music playing]
[sirens blurting]
[Redmond] This particular do-or-die,
winner-take-all Game 7
has the highest stakes imaginable
for both William Nylander
and David Pastrnak.
One side, you've got Pasta,
who's been called out by his coach
prior to this Game 7.
On the other, you have William Nylander
and the Toronto Maple Leafs,
who just can't seem to take the next step.
It doesn't matter that David Pastrnak
and William Nylander are friends.
They do not care.
They care about one thing.
Winning.
[crowd cheering]
That's the thing about Game 7.
It's all about this one game,
this one play.
Who's gonna take it?
[Nylander] Here we go, boys!
Stay in the moment.
[announcer] John Tavares will take
the opening face-off with Pavel Zacha.
[referee] John, Pavel, have a great game.
[announcer] And the 195th Game 7
in NHL playoff history is underway.
[Pastrnak] Great job! Great job, boys!
[grunts]
[player] With a sell on white.
Getting their game going now.
[whistle blows]
[player] Let's fucking hunt.
Be ready. Hey Nylander, three high.
[announcer 1] Here's DeBrusk,
cuts one back. Knies, in front Nylander!
And Swayman with a stop.
[announcer 2] William Nylander
with Toronto's best chance.
[Montgomery] That was a real good period.
Keep putting pucks in.
We're getting to them,
and we're establishing O-Zone time.
Okay? But we got better, right?
[Pastrnak] When the puck doesn't go in
for a goal scorer like me,
you know, definitely hard.
Sometimes, you are battling your own game.
[Pastrnak] Keep it.
[announcer 1] And now Pastrnak.
And they turn it over!
[Pastrnak] Fuck!
It's Marchand.
but right into the midsection
of Ilya Samsonov.
[Pastrnak] Right in the fucking tummy.
Keep going boys, eh?
We're fucking good here.
Stay in the moment, stay patient,
and that was the mindset.
[Nylander] Hey, send it!
[announcer 1]
Nylander stopped down low.
Swayman rescuing Boston
time and time again.
[whistle tweets]
Scoreless through two periods.
All right, fellas!
[Keefe] We haven't beaten this goaltender
off a clean shot the entire series.
They protect inside.
You got to fucking drive right through.
That's where the goals are, okay?
Puck's gotta get there,
people got to get there.
That's how we make
[Nylander] Game 7 is
It's hard.
You don't want to be the one
that maybe makes a mistake or something
that leads to the first goal.
Because it's make-it or break-it.
[crowd cheering]
[announcer 1] Toronto Maple Leafs
trying to end a long streak
that nobody wants to be a part of.
They've lost six straight
winner-take-all games in the playoffs.
[interviewer]
And you thrive under pressure, right?
I try to.
[player] Let loose. Let it fucking fly
here, fellas. Let it fly!
[announcer 1]
Matthews with Bertuzzi and Nylander.
[player] Need help, get up!
[announcer 1]
Knocked down by Bertuzzi. Matthews in
And goal! They score!
The Leafs just scored!
Free Willy Nylander gets the job done!
We're one step closer!
[excited chatter]
[announcer 2] Three goals
in the last two games for Nylander.
Oh boy, the Bruins got 11 minutes
to try and find one,
as the Leafs take the lead in Game 7.
[announcer 1] Out in front!
And that one goes just over
the top of the net off Brazeau's stick.
Lindholm scores!
[Pastrnak] Yes! Yes! Yeah!
Let's go! Yeah, boy!
[announcer 1]
Somehow, Lindholm finds this narrow lane.
[Pastrnak] Yeah! Let's go!
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] 1:52 to go in regulation
in Game 7, tied at one.
[Montgomery] Turn it up! Turn it up!
[announcer 1] Pastrnak,
and he just missed the left post.
Holmberg on the forehand.
Holmberg hoping for an alley.
Stopped by McAvoy. Three seconds to go.
Out in front!
And stopped by Swayman!
[announcer 2] What a save that was,
off the skate in the slot,
as William Nylander,
knowing the clock's ticking down,
just throws it to the middle
where all the bodies are.
Swayman able to hold on.
[announcer 1] Game 7 overtime.
[announcer 2] Every player on both benches
has played this moment out in their life.
[Pastrnak] We need to help down low, eh?
[Pastrnak] Come on in, boys.
[player] Let's make it the best fucking
minutes of the game, guys.
Let's go, let's go.
[Nylander] There's no better time
to play hockey than Game 7 OT.
[player] Holy fuck,
this is why we play the game, boys.
-Mhm-hmm.
-Yeah.
[player] For fucking moments like this.
We're all fucking born for a moment
like this.
[Nylander] I think everybody,
since they started playing hockey,
knew what the Stanley Cup was.
That's what everybody wants.
[player] Fuck, we're good here, eh?
[Pastrnak] Fucking silence on the bench,
boys. Fucking bring that energy!
Stop with the negativity boys.
Support each other.
We're in this fucking together.
We're all bitching at each other.
[Pastrnak] I think every
professional athlete knows that,
you know, doing what you love,
it comes with a lot of pressure, you know?
One thing I learned
after having kids is that
if I'm positive and happy
and feeling good,
you know, I can be even better.
[interviewer]
It's going so well for you now.
How can you keep it up?
Just stay Stay Stay on the floor.
If I can say it like that,
you know, don't Don't go high.
-Don't fly to the sky.
-Yeah, exactly.
[Nylander]
Stay on the ground and keep going.
I came in here
when I was 18 years old.
A lot of years now
where we've lost Game 7.
And then you go to say, "Next year
We'll be better next year.
Next year."
Fuck that.
[dramatic music playing]
[Keefe]
Now we hang fucking tough.
This is where we finish the fucking job.
-Let's go make it happen. Come on.
-[applause]
[indistinct shouting]
[all chatter]
[announcer 1] The Maple Leafs and Bruins
tied at one in Game 7.
The winner advances to the second round,
and the loser will have
an excruciating end to its season.
[Pastrnak] Hey, same thing, eh?
I hit the net, it's a goal.
Let's go get it, baby.
[announcer 2]
Well, nerves will play so much of this.
If you can get through your first shift,
then you settle into the game.
[player] Here we go.
[grunts]
[Montgomery]
Get down! Keep it low! Keep it low!
They're tired, keep playing behind!
[announcer 1]
Time-out here in Boston.
[coach] Hey, next shift's
your biggest shift.
[referee] Gentlemen, here we go!
[player] Pasta!
[Pastrnak] I can't go.
[Montgomery] Nineteen, go left wing.
[Pastrnak] My bad, I took the tape off.
Fuck!
[announcer] Beecher going after Liljegren
and take it away.
John Beecher, high slot.
Rebound, free!
[Pastrnak] Oh!
Yeah, yeah, I'm ready.
Yeah, Beech! Beech!
[announcer 1]
Here's Pastrnak.
[Montgomery] Pasta's on right wing!
[announcer 1]
Lindholm sends it down.
Now a race for the puck.
[suspenseful music playing]
[crowd cheers]
[Pastrnak] Yes! Let's go!
[announcer 1] He scores!
David Pastrnak wins it for Boston!
[Pastrnak] Baby! Let's go, baby!
Love you, baby!
[announcer 1]
And the Bruins go on to Florida,
with a Game 7 overtime win.
["You Should've Seen the Other Guy"
by Nathaniel Rateliff playing]
We get out of this fight ♪
You gonna help me wrap my hands ♪
Stitching up my eyes ♪
You know that blood can blind ♪
And them was big old boys ♪
What a series.
Great series, my man.
Great battle, my friend.
And they was out to cut my throat ♪
It's a lot
It's a mark ♪
They're gonna press down on you ♪
I love you, man.
It's a haze on my head ♪
Must've been hit too hard ♪
[Montgomery]
Willy, you're a hell of a player.
Good luck.
I think I'm gonna be it tonight ♪
If there's one way out ♪
It's to swing my way ♪
Through the crowd ♪
It happened so fast.
You don't even have time to react.
He was coming with an insane amount
of speed, and we were all flat-footed.
Yeah, it's, uh
Yeah.
[reporter]
Game 7 overtime here.
I see you looking around the crowd.
What's going through your mind right now?
Uh, just trying to soak it in.
You know, it was a heck of a moment.
[crowd cheering]
Is there a blanket of pain ♪
That I can wrap up in? ♪
[all cheering]
You've got a hold of me now ♪
[excited shouting]
Hey, that's a helluva grip ♪
[cheers and applause]
And you could say I was pissing gin ♪
[man]
Fucking love you guys!
We all know I was fucking fighting
this whole fucking series.
But it does not fucking matter.
Hey, it's about the next play.
And fucking,
you just keep going and grinding.
[all cheer]
[Pastrnak] Yeah!
I'm busted ♪
Laid up and dry ♪
Hey ♪
Hey ♪
Hey ♪
[producer]
Have you talked to Willy at all?
No, just the handshake, you know.
You don't really
It's never fun to be on the other side,
and, you know,
let him be for a little bit.
But, you know,
they put a great fight to us, so
Alright, see you guys in Florida.
[intense music playing]