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As I sat down to recap this game, I wondered if it would be the last time I did so for five months. It's the final day of April, would we be going through another long, long summer? 150+ days of no hockey podcasts, no regularly scheduled games, and jerseys swapped out of the closet for the summer vacation wear.

Or, would we survive for at least one more game?

Joseph Woll took over the net for Ilya Samsonov, Max Domi took the centre position on the top line with Auston Matthews out. We wanted changes...

Like with the majority of this series, I get incredibly tense as the Bruins enter the Leafs zone. Being acutely aware of every black jersey's position on the ice and finding the possible paths to the tiniest opening in the Leafs net, hoping they don't see it either.

Up and down, back and forth. The Leafs are getting more on the net early, but the Bruins seem a bit more organized when in possession. Could be my internalized anti-Leafs bias, or could be experience.

The Leafs top line of Domi, Bertuzzi, and Marner get some good zone time and pressure Jeremy Swayman, but nothing goes in. The crowd at TD Garden erupts in cheers when the Bruins finally clear the zone, even if it results in icing.

Icing seems to be the way the Bruins clear the zone. Another puck is launched down the ice before it reaches the centre red line, and that brings the Leafs back to the offensive zone for another draw, and as Max Domi throws the puck back as it's dropped Tyler Bertuzzi rushes to the net to screen the goalie. Jake McCabe rips a one timer as the puck reaches his stick, Bertuzzi does his job blocking the view of the shot, and in it goes.

The Maple Leafs take an urgently needed early lead in game five. 1-0 Toronto.

Blue line Bruins are a fear of mine. That forward who is able to sneak out, behind the defenders, and get set up just as they're striding across the blueline, making everyone scramble back. Woll faces one, with Connor Geekie being the cherry picker this time. Thankfully he shoots very wide, and the danger goes.

Midway through the first period, the Leafs have held the Bruins to one shot. Not one chance, or one attempt, but thankfully only one puck has needed to be saved.

Matthew Knies takes advantage of an unlikely Bruins misplay at their blueline, and gets a great shot off, but it's stopped by Swayman.

Holding a lead has been difficult for the Leafs this series. Until they scored tonight they has only held a lead for 12:21 through four games. Tonight they adda couple more minutes to that total before the Bruins tied things up.

Trent Frederic takes advantage of a bouncing puck that stays out of reach of the Leafs defenders, and knocks it in to tie the game.

Brandon Carlo cross-checks his former teammate Tyler Bertuzzi, but not to worry, it's the Leafs on a powerplay. Ineffective, can't score, so take all the penalties you want Boston. I was not proven wrong tonight.

The Maple Leafs survived the first period. They aren't winning, but they aren't losing. Leafs are leading in shots 12-2. Score is tied 1-1.

Near connects. Almost goals. PING!s off the crossbar. Less of these, please.

The second starts well. Right to the Bruins net, John Tavares gets a great shot at Swayman, but William Nylander trips Charlie McAvoy, and the Bruins will start the second period with a powerplay.

Thankfully, it doesn't end badly, in fact it was a no shot on net powerplay. Them Pat Maroon gets called for interference, so it's right back to special teams for these two, just switching sides.

The Leafs are zipping the puck around the Bruins zone. Rebounds, bounces, the Bruins are working hard to defend. Morgan Rielly gets a beautiful chance to regain the lead, but Swayman dives and makes the save.

The Bruins hem the Leafs into their own zone. Woll is forced to stretch, reach, and slide to keep the puck out of the net, and thankfully he manages to do so each time he's called upon (with some help from Timothy Liljegren's leg).

Max Domi steals the puck off a clearing pass, and he, Bertuzzi, and Marner rush the net, but the puck will not go where it should. Wide shot, puck in feet with an open net, Swayman in the way. The basic puck luck in these scenarios sums up the Leafs series so far.

Both teams are pushing hard to score once more before the second period ends. Both goalies are making big saves, getting the crowd on their feet, and in Joseph Wolls case using their faces to make the save when needed.

The clock ticks down to the end of the second period. The Leafs try to wrap the puck around into the net. Swayman tries to stop it, Knies tries to knock it in, eventually all ten forwards dive into the Bruins crease, whistles blow. Hands get thrown.

Reviews are watched. No, the puck didn't cross. The aftermath of the mayhem is announced, and it's two penalties for Boston, one for Toronto.

Joel Edmundson goes off for roughing and it's Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand off for Boston. A few seconds are lost on the powerplay, but when the third begins we'll see the rest.

After two it's tied at ones, Leafs lead in shots 23-12.

The Bruins penalty kill works as well as it has all series, minus one Morgan Rielly wrister from the slot. No goal. Still tied.

In the first five minutes the Bruins are pushing hardest to get the lead. Great set ups, perfect rebounds shooting out in front of open nets, thankfully no one there to capitalize.

However, Woll has been pushed too hard, and after the whistle he's helped off the ice. It appears to just be a skate blade, so I tell my heart to stop being attacked.

Brad Marchand and Pontus Holmberg tie up at the face off, with Holmberg going down but not letting go of Marchands arm. They continue to jaw and poke at each other until the refs blow the play dead as the two continue to keep antagonizing each other. It ends with a ref knocking over Marchand as the two are separated. Matching roughing penalties for the pair.

Four on four brings us some excitement, some worries, but no goals. Everyone wants to be the hero, but still playing carefully to not be the scapegoat.

Trent Frederic catches a pass right in front of the net, but he can not get a grip on the stick enough to get around a sprawled out Woll. We wait for a whistle as Woll covers it up, and the players keep poking, but the whistle goes and we're saved.

The final five minutes of a tied potential elimination game are the longest and hardest five minutes we can endure. Every Bruins entrance to the Leafs end comes with a rapid heartbeat. Every save by Swayman is a curse word.

The third period ends. For the first time this series, we'll be going to overtime. The playoff overtime rules feel like this: The game will either end within the first two minutes, just to make the full intermission feel like a waste of time, or we'll go to near the end of the first OT, or multiple. No ten minutes in. All or a painful nothing.

The Bruins put the fear of nothing into us as they crowd the Leafs net to begin the period. Lots of space for them to create, plenty of scares. Brand Marchand rushes in control, but loses the puck before he can do anything with it, making me breathe a sigh of relief.

John Tavares has the puck, and skates hard into the Bruins zone, he takes the shot. It's stopped, but Matthew Knies is following his captain and is in the right place for the rebound, and gets the Leafs their second win.

A nice short overtime, saving us from ourselves.

The Maple Leafs win this one 2-1 in overtime.

Now, they head back to Toronto, looking for their first home ice win of the playoffs. Spend your off day tomorrow practicing the power play. That's all we ask.

See you all on Thursday night!

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Game CoverageMaple Leafs Playoffs