At long last, the Maple Leafs are advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It’d been 19 years since the last time Toronto was able to escape the first round of the postseason, but an overtime game-winner from John Tavares sealed the Maple Leafs’s victory over the Lightning in Game 6, snapping the team’s 11-game losing streak in first-round elimination games.
The last time the Maple Leafs have played hockey beyond the opening round of the NHL playoffs was back in 2004, but they’re set to take on the winner of the series between the Bruins and Panthers, which is tied up at three wins apiece.
After six consecutive first-round exits in the playoffs, fans in Toronto and the rest of NHL Twitter erupted when the Maple Leafs finally clawed out of the early stages of the postseason.
Despite this being merely a first-round series win, it’s clear how much the moment meant to the organization and its fans.
DUBAS IS FIRED UP pic.twitter.com/yBorCSq2Yl
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 30, 2023
A list of players who played in the NHL the last time the Maple Leafs won a playoff series:
— Schlasser (@UrinatingTree) April 30, 2023
- Mario Lemieux
- Mark Messier
- Brett Hull
- Ron Francis
- Dave Andreychuk
- Brian Leetch
- Adam Oates
- Scott Stevens
- James Patrick
- Igor Larionov
- Steve Yzerman
- Ed Belfour
MAPLE LEAF SQUARE GOES WILD! 🎉
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) April 30, 2023
•••
(🎥: @TSN_Sports) pic.twitter.com/oL76efnGmP
Finally Toronto Maple Leafs fans won’t blame me for not getting to the second round since 2004…………#LeafsForever #Leafs
— Andrew Raycroft (@AndrewRaycroft) April 30, 2023
The last time Toronto won a playoff series, my wife was pregnant with our first child.
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) April 30, 2023
This week, I picked up that same kid from university.
Truly wild that much time has elapsed between series wins for the Maple Leafs.
GO LEAFS GO!!!! @MapleLeafs
— Renee Paquette (@ReneePaquette) April 30, 2023
Let’s check in on leaf’s fans
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) April 30, 2023
🎥: @dustytoz pic.twitter.com/LUGxC9AQYR
Another case of Bud Light was just delivered to the #leafs dressing room.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 30, 2023
leafs pics that go hard: pic.twitter.com/AQ0OALMfpt
— x - tina (@tinanewyen) April 30, 2023
congratulations leafs fans pic.twitter.com/cPkoDQQj0u
— Tommy (@tommykippes2) April 30, 2023
Job’s not finished! pic.twitter.com/lcMqrl4RcL
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 30, 2023
As Matthews indicated, there’s still work to be done for the Maple Leafs, but the end of a near two-decade long drought certainly deserves to be celebrated.
