THN.com/podcast. The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate John Tavares' overtime-winner on Saturday night. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk3NjA1NDIyNDAyNjQzNzYy/usatsi_20566305.jpg] The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate John Tavares' overtime-winner on Saturday night. They did it. The Toronto Maple Leafs accomplished what they had failed to do for the past 18 years, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime on Saturday night by a score of 2-1 to book their first ticket to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2004. It certainly didn't come without drama, though. With three overtime victories, including John Tavares' extra-period winner tonight, the Maple Leafs made every minute of the series a nail-biter before ultimately coming out on top. It's easy to forget that all seemed lost for Toronto after a disastrous Game 1, during which the Lightning pummelled the Maple Leafs all the way from the first whistle to the final horn to take a commanding series lead with a 7-2 victory. Game 2 would go the complete opposite way for the Maple Leafs, though, as they came out swinging following their embarrassing defeat to pump the Lightning for seven goals of their own and even things up. As the series shifted to Tampa, the theatrics only increased. Despite being largely outplayed in both Games 3 and 4, the Maple Leafs managed to hang on long enough to push the Lightning to overtime, wherein Morgan Rielly would earn his club the win in Game 3 before Alex Kerfoot would do the same two days later. Game 4, in particular, was a sight to behold, with Toronto entering the final 10 minutes of the third period trailing the Lightning by a score of 4-1 before somehow surging back to tie things in the final seconds and then come out on top in the extra frame. With the chance to close out their divisional rival on home ice in Game 5, the Maple Leafs faltered, squandering a prime opportunity by losing 4-2 and booking yet another trip to Tampa, where they would face a raucous Lightning crowd. But, of course, the Maple Leafs would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat when all was said and done, as their captain rose to the challenge when it mattered most and finally led this club over a hurdle they have been trying to conquer since before the invention of high-definition TV. Now, all the Maple Leafs can do is wait, as they will play whichever team emerges victorious from Sunday's Game 7 between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers.
