from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star,

They talked about it before the game. Of course they did. That was all they talked about. A man had murdered 10 of our people on a sunny afternoon and injured 15 more, so the Toronto Maple Leafs woke up from their naps and went to the rink and talked about it, like everyone else. They live here, too. Game 6 could have been postponed, playoffs and all.

But there are a few things that bind together this great cacophonous project of a city, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of them, and this part of the city went on. The Leafs played Game 6 against the Boston Bruins Monday night, trying to stave off a first-round elimination for the second straight year. Outside the arena police were in their usual posts, watching a little more carefully. People streamed through Union Station, holding doors or bumping elbows. Maple Leaf Square was deemed full three hours before the game. Across the city, on patios or in bars or at home, people put the game on. This is a part of what we do.

And inside, they passed the test. The Leafs led 2-1 heading into the third period, with goals from two of their three young stars. In Game 5, the third period was an anxious, jittery hell. The Leafs fumbled passes, broke up their own breakouts, and spent the period trying to fend off the Bruins. They barely managed to hold it together.

This time, though, this time they just played, with poise and smarts, and they came closer to a third goal than Boston did to a second. First it was William Nylander — who scored the Leafs’ opening goal, followed by Mitch Marner, with Auston Matthews having one disallowed — then Kasperi Kapanen, then Matthews. Goaltender Frederik Anderson held the fort early, and closed the door late. Toronto added an empty netter.

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Game highlights are below.