The NHL playoffs has its first game 7 courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 victory yesterday over the Boston Bruins. In every sport, momentum is a contributing factor. In playoff hockey, it’s more than that. The Bruins may have the home field advantage going into game 7, but the Leafs definitely have momentum on their side.

The Maple Leafs young squad fought back from 3-1 to tie the series at 3 games apiece. Goalie Frederik Andersen recorded 32 saves in the game 6 win over Boston. Andersen has been the savior throughout the season for his team, playing 66 of the 82 regular season games. The Maple Leaf’s goalie also faced the second most shots of any goaltender during the season. He is a large part as to why the Leafs are in the NHL playoffs.

Here’s Andersen making a crucial glove save in the second period in last night’s game:

Toronto is hoping that Andersen can continue his dominance from the previous few games. The Leafs are going to need him to be locked in if they hope to beat Boston at home. Even if they do, the signs of a deep run into the playoffs don’t seem too comforting. The Leafs may have a young offense oriented group, but the defense is lackluster. It depends almost squarely on Andersen. He knows that his defensemen aren’t going to be able to help as much as he’d like. Getting past the Bruins would be a significant accomplishment for the Leafs, but an even more formidable opponent lurks on the horizon in Tampa Bay.

As for Boston, the Bruins can take solace in the fact that they play extraordinarily well at home. They may not have the momentum after giving up the last two games, but being back at TD Garden has to count for something. If the Bruins can continue to take advantage of the Leaf’s subpar defense, all they have to contend with is Andersen. That’s going to be an uphill battle though if he manages to have another performance like the one he did in game 6.

Game 7 is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday the 23rd at 7:30pm eastern time, on the NBC Network.