In a blink of an eye — a furious rush up the right wing — Jake DeBrusk solidified his spot in Boston sports lore in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
DeBrusk received the puck around his own blue line on his off wing. He burst up the side, beat Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner wide, then cut in toward the goal. Avoiding a stick check and taking a hit instead, DeBrusk unleashed a low shot that slithered through Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen and into the back of the net.
"I think it was four-on-four, I believe, and I don’t get out there for four-on-four too much so I just went to the net and kind of caught their defenseman off-guard right away with just my speed," began DeBrusk. "Then I tried to make a move and actually tried to raise it and I didn’t even see it go in. I just heard the crowd go pretty nuts and it was a very special feeling, especially making it 5-4 at that point."