No. 1 Star: Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Bergeron was the key link to the Bruins' stunning comeback in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Down 4-2 in the third period, Bergeron setup Milan Lucic's goal to cut the Toronto lead to 4-3, then scored the tying goal with 51 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. In the extra period, Bergeron skated freely through the Maple Leafs' zone before pouncing on a rebound to give Boston a 5-4 victory and setup a second round date with the New York Rangers.
No. 2 Star: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
When they needed him the most, Lundqvist stepped to the plate. After a 27-save performance during a Game 6 shutout, Lundqvist stopped all 35 shots he faced from the Washington Capitals as the Rangers advanced to the second round with a 5-0 victory in Game 7. According to STATS LLC, Lundqvist is the first goalie to post back-to-back shutouts in Games 6 and 7 of a series since Dominik Hasek did it for the Detroit Red Wings in 2002.
No. 3 Star: Derick Brassard, New York Rangers
Brassard assisted on two of New York's five goals to give him 9 points in the postseason. He was acquired at the trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Marian Gaborik to Columbus.
Honorable mention: Cody Franson scored a pair of goals for the Maple Leafs in a losing effort ... Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri each had two points ... David Krejci recorded two assists and leads all players in playoff scoring with 13 points ... Ten Rangers recorded points ... The Rangers won their first Game 7 on the road in franchise history ... Boston becomes the first team in NHL history to win a Game 7 after trailing by at least three goals in the third period, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Conn Smythe Watch: 1. David Krejci, Boston Bruins; 2. Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks; 3. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; 4. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks; 5. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks; 6. Patrick Sharp, Chicago Blackhawks 7. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers; 8. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators; 9. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings; 10. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings.
Dishonorable mention: Washington has lost five of their last seven series that have gone seven games ... Alex Ovechkin was held pointless in the final five games of the series. Afterward, Ovechkin was not a fan of the officiating ... Toronto is now 1-9 in series where they fall behind 3-1 and 12-10 all-time in Game 7s.
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