Sunday Sports: Bruins Send Leafs Packing

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS (Round 1)

• Toronto fell short in a Game 7 once again, and once more to the Boston Bruins. David Pastrnak scored 1:54 into overtime to push the Bruins to a 2-1 victory and into the second round of the playoffs. Boston avoided becoming the first team in NHL history to blow back-to-back 3-1 series leads after losing out to the Florida Panthers at the same stage of last spring’s post-season.  Toronto has now lost six straight Game 7s — including four straight to the Bruins (2013, 2018, 2019 and 2024). 
• Facing yet another disappointment, the Leafs may have questions to answer this off-season. After Toronto advanced to the second round of the post-season for the first time since 2004 last year, head coach Sheldon Keefe suffered a fourth opening-round exit in his five seasons at the helm. In addition, star winger Mitch Marner has one year left on his contract and is able to sign an extension come July 1.
• The Carolina Hurricanes are in New York Sunday night to take on the Rangers in the NHL’s first second-round game of these playoffs. New York and Carolina finished first and second in the Eastern Conference and cruised past their opponents in opening-round play. The Rangers swept Washington, while the Hurricanes, who made it to the Eastern Conference finals last season, eliminated the New York Islanders in five games.
• The defending champion Vegas Golden Knights look to keep their hopes of a repeat alive on Sunday when they take on the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of their best-of-seven first-round series. After taking a 2-0 lead, Vegas dropped three in a row before drawing the series in Game 6. The Golden Knights now need a third road win in the series to advance.

MLB

Kevin Gausman pitched five-and-one-third scoreless innings, Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run homer in his return from the injured list and the Toronto BlueJays beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 to end a three-game losing streak. Gausman allowed three hits while striking out eight and walking two. Danny Jansen and Daulton Varsho each had two hits for the Blue Jays, who had lost eight of 11.

KENTUCKY DERBY

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a dramatic three-horse photo finish, edging out Sierra Leone and Forever Young for the upset victory. It was the 10th Derby to be decided by a nose, the closest margin in horse racing. Sent off at 18-1 odds, Mystik Dan and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rode the rail down the stretch with a short lead. Sierra Leone and Forever Young from Japan gave chase and pressured the leader to the wire in front of 156,710 at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Hernandez and trainer Kenny McPeek had teamed to win the Kentucky Oaks for fillies a day earlier with Thorpedo Anna. Mystik Dan ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.34 and paid $39.22 to win.

NBA

DENVER (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored a playoff career-high 43 points, Naz Reid had 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the defending NBAchampion Denver Nuggets 106-99 in Game 1 of the second-round series Saturday night. Edwards was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 25 points, and Reid took over in the fourth quarter. Game 2 is Monday night in Denver. Three days after undergoing knee surgery, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was on the bench in the second row, next to the scorer’s table and behind assistant coach Micah Nori, who did the instructing, roaming and switching. Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for Denver.

MLS

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi set three MLS records with a goal and five assists as Inter Miami trounced the New York Red Bulls 6-2. His six goal contributions, five assists and five assists in a half were all league records. Fresh after earning MLS Player of the Month Award for April, Messi has scored and assisted in six consecutive league matches. Luis Suárez had three goals and Matias Rojas scored twice as Inter Miami scored six unanswered goals to come back from a 1-0 halftime deficit. Inter Miami remains atop the Eastern Conference with 24 points. Dante Vanzeir gave New York the first-half lead. The Red Bulls dropped to 4-2-5.

(Canadian Press)