Former Toronto Maple Leafs centre Tyler Bozak, now of the St. Louis Blues, will face the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals.
In other words, Tyler has got a lot of Torontonians counting on him to put the Bruins to bed.
The St. Louis Blues ended a very tight series against the San Jose Sharks with a 5-1 Game 6 win Tuesday. Fans of anyone but Boston were probably leaning toward San Jose, but injuries got the best of them. Now it’s up to the Blues and our pal Bozie.
After nine seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bozak signed with the Blues as a free agent last summer. He left us with a heartfelt goodbye and a great story about Phil Kessel’s Goldendoodle, Stella.
Things weren’t looking so great for Bozak and his new team for the first half of the season. On Jan. 3, they were dead last in the league. Now they’re Western Conference Champions and heading to the Stanley Cup Finals.
I have to admit, watching Bozak and the Blues struggle while the Toronto Maple Leafs did the opposite made part of me happy – the spiteful part. Now I can’t listen to Gloria without pumping my fist like the Blues are my team.
From Toronto To St. Louis
Bozak signed a three-year $15 million contract with the Blues on Jul. 1, 2018. There may have been something else in Toronto news that day that overshadowed his departure, but it was still hard to say goodbye. Since then, he’s had quite a season in St. Louis.
(Stats are from naturalstattrick.com)
In his role as a bottom-six forward, Bozak contributed 13 goals and 25 assists in 72 regular season games. He’s played the majority of the 2018-19 regular season and the playoffs with Pat Maroon on the left and Robert Thomas on the right. They have 7 and 6 total postseason points, respectively.
With the Maple Leafs last year, he had slightly better numbers. He had a few more points, more shots on goal, more faceoff wins and a better power play performance, but that didn’t land him a conference title and his team’s first Stanley Cup Final in 49 years. Toronto fans wish.
Bozak will head to Boston Monday with 5 goals and 5 assists in 19 playoff games. He’ll also be walking into familiar territory.
Here We Go Again
With the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bozak was part of two Game 7 losses against the Bruins. Before he was injured and missed the last two games in 2013, he only contributed a goal and an assist. Last season, he put up 2 goals and 2 assists in all 7 games.
He may not have been around for this year’s upset, but he definitely saw it. And like the polite, dedicated, Toronto-loving man I’m sure he is, Bozak is ready to give Leafs Nation what they’ve been waiting three rounds for. Just, as a member of a different team.
These two teams met twice in the 2018-19 regular season and each won once. The Bruins are favoured to win, okay, whatever, but they’re not invincible.
We know a 24-year-old kid that weighs under 180 pounds can knock Zdeno Chara off his feet. Brad Marchand can lick all the faces he wants, but we know he’d head to the bench as soon as guys like Maroon or Robert Bortuzzo give him a look.
If you don’t have a dog in this race, you’re most likely cheering against the Boston Bruins. Leafs Nation definitely is and, in the spirit of #LeafsForever, they’ll probably have their eye on Bozak in particular (maybe Alexander Steen, too).
Alexa, play Gloria.