TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs are close to making playoff history.

Captain Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel scored third-period goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Boston Bruins 2-1 Sunday to send their playoff series back to Boston for Game 7.

Game 7 is Monday night in Boston. The winner will play the winner of the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals series. That series is also tied 3- 3 with Game 7 on Monday night.

The Maple Leafs, making their return to the postseason for the first time since 2004, became the 48th team in Stanley Cup history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to force Game 7.

The only time Toronto has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series was the 1942 Stanley Cup finals against the Detroit Red Wings when the Leafs trailed 3-0 before reeling off four straight wins.

Sunday’s win also snapped a 54-year stretch of home playoff failure against the Bruins.

Toronto’s previous home playoff win against Boston was March 31, 1959, when the Leafs won 3-2 in overtime. Nine straight postseason home losses followed in the decades since.

Milan Lucic scored for Boston with 26 seconds left in the third.

Boston coach Claude Julien was critical of his team’s puck management and decision-making.

“We’ve been a Jekyll-and-Hyde hockey team all year and that’s what you’re seeing right now,” he said. “I think it’s important to us to bring the good Bruins team to the table for Game 7.”

A loss on Monday and Boston, Stanley Cup winners in 2011, will exit in the seventh game of the first round for the second year in a row.

The Maple Leafs have momentum after two consecutive wins.

James Reimer was again steady in the Toronto net, making 29 saves to earn the win. Tuukka Rask finished with 24 stops in the Boston goal.

For Phaneuf, scoring a goal was a bit of redemption after being involved in the play that led to the Bruins’ overtime winner in Game 4.

Phaneuf’s goal at 1:48 of the third period came after Nazem Kadri ripped a wrist shot that was tipped in by Phaneuf, who had made his way to the front of the goal after continuing his rush.

Boston had lost the puck in the Toronto end on an attempt at a pass by David Krejci.

Kessel then added to the lead at 8:59, picking up the puck after James van Riemsdyk dealt with two Bruins in front of goal and backhanded it past Tuukka Rask. Kadri beat Patrice Bergeron on the faceoff to start the play.

Said Phaneuf: “I felt that I owed it to Van Riemsdyk was also effective, earning assists on both goals.

After combining for 170 shots in the past two games, the teams played defensively in what started as a much tighter game, but opened up later on.

The tight game made for a tense atmosphere inside where 19,591 fans, wielding giveaway blue or white towels.

Outside, another amped-up crowd packed Maple Leafs Square outside the Air Canada Centre to watch the game on a big screen, despite chilly temperatures at game time.

Boston dominated most of the first period, skating hard and pushing the pace.

Toronto had to kill off an early penalty. Carlyle juggled his forward lines.

The Bruins outshot Toronto 8-7 in a tight first period. Without Bozak, the Leafs won just six of 17 faceoffs in the period. Toronto outhit Boston 19-17.

Boston continued to bottle up the Leafs in their own end for stretches of the second, with Boychuk hitting the post with a shot from the blue line.

A diving Reimer made a stop on Patrice Bergeron six minutes in, going across the crease on his stomach as Boychuk came from behind the net and tried to stuff the puck in.

Boston 3, Toronto 3

Wednesday, May 1: Boston 4, Toronto 1
Saturday, May 4: Toronto 4, Boston 2
Monday, May 6: Boston 5, Toronto 2
Wednesday, May 8: Boston 4, Toronto 3, OT
Friday, May 10: Toronto 2, Boston 1
Sunday, May 12: Toronto 2, Boston 1
TONIGHT: Toronto at Boston, 7 p.m.