The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in overtime to advance to the second round for the first time in 2004, and with it, lifted an incredible weight off their shoulders with a lot to look forward to.
The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in overtime to advance to the second round for the first time in 2004, and with it, lifted an incredible weight off their shoulders with a lot to look forward to.
TAMPA — It finally happened.
After 6,949 days passed since the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs experienced the winning side of a handshake line, the club is moving on to the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in overtime in Game 6.
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"It's been a long road for a lot of our guys, they've been through a lot of sh*t to get here, to get to this spot" Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe shared after the game. "For them to get this feeling tonight, they deserve it. They've worked incredibly hard and have been questioned a lot so it's about time a bounce went our way."
The Maple Leafs went into Saturday's game fresh off the disappointment of losing yet another close-out game on Thursday, falling 4-2 against the Lightning.
No doubt there was reason to be pessimistic. Leafs fans had seen this happen before.
But the club kept an upbeat vibe and backed it up with a complete effort in Game 6.
They didn't dominate the shot share or possession. They had to play tight defensively. But their stars delivered. They had unsung moments from their supporting players and perhaps most importantly, they got the goaltending they just hadn't had in these types of games in the 19 years before tonight.
"It’s a great feeling and obviously a monkey off the back for a lot of us that have been here for quite a long time," Auston Matthews said. "It’s something that we’ll enjoy tonight, but this is step one on a long journey we are trying to be on and we know it only gets harder from here."
There wasn't a lot of room for Toronto to generate much offensively, a theme that the three-time Stanley Cup finalists hammered home in the six-game series. But Matthews delivered the opening salvo in the second period with a strong shift in the offensive zone that was rewarded with a big moment and a 1-0 lead.
Among the many bounces that went the Leafs way on Saturday was demonstrated in the goal when TJ Brodie managed to barely keep the play alive by keeping the puck from leaving the offensive zone.
Carrying a 1-0 lead into the second period, Steven Stamkos tied the game 1-1 and memories of a third-period Game 6 erased lead came to the forefront for Leafs fans. But Toronto didn't bend. Despite allowing the goal, it was actually Toronto's best period of the game until overtime hit with an expected-goals rating of 60 percent according to NaturalStatTrick.com
Another lucky "bounce" was a non-call late in the third period when Brodie's stick caught Tampa's Brandon Hagel up high.
With the game tied 1-1, the Leafs found themselves in overtime in Tampa for the third consecutive road game. But with the stakes higher, they kept their composure.
"(It was) pretty upbeat. A lot of talk, a lot of chatter in here and just the confidence within the group that these are the moments we play for, we live for and it just takes one shot and somebody was going to go get it," Matthews said of the overtime intermission.
And then it all ended with another "bounce."
John Tavares spun around in the offensive zone after getting a puck from Matthews Knies. His release at the net bounced off Tampa defenseman Darren Raddysh's skate and past Tampa goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
That was the moment the narrative changed.
"I was just throwing it there to see what happens," Tavares said of the goal. "I was glad I decided to put it there.
Leafs teammates flooded the ice after the goal. Many of them mobbed goaltender Ilya Samsonov who put on his best effort of the entire series.
Goaltending had been a theme for the Maple Leafs all season long after electing to overhaul the position. The oft-injured Matt Murray was Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas' big bet in July, but two days later, they signed Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $1.8 million contract.
"Sammy's play tonight was inspiring to the group that we had a chance to just stay with it," Keefe said of Samsonov.
The Russian goaltender, who bet on himself with a one-year deal after his former club failed to tender him a qualifying offer, made 31 saves and backstopped Toronto to a playoff-round victory for the first time since Ed Belfour did in 2004.
Tampa had 22 high-danger chances in all situations against the Leafs, and Samsonov made the saves when they mattered.
Understandably, he was exhausted.
"I feel tired right now," Samsonov said. "Inside, I’m so excited. It’s a big deal for us. Special for our group. This series (is) over. Thank you, Tampa. Tampa Bay is (a) nice team. Hard series for us. A lot of emotion. Thank you fans. You guys (are) unbelievable and we just prepare next round."
There were so many standout performances in this series.
Toronto's core five skaters were their best players. Matthews led the team with five goals. Mitch Marner led the club with 11 points. The longest-tenured Maple Leaf — Morgan Rielly — shook off a difficult regular season with three goals and five assists in six games. Tavares and William Nylander each put up seven points.
But Toronto's supporting players were big.
Nobody could have envisioned the impact Luke Schenn would have on this series. Acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in February, his second coming has shown glimpses of the players Toronto hoped he'd be when they drafted him fifth overall in the 2008 NHL Draft.
It was evident at the end of the regular season that Schenn was going to win out one of the remaining defensive spots on the club when he scored a goal and had a fight when Toronto and Tampa met in each other's penultimate game of the regular season. But he went from a third pair to top-four defenseman in the series, both with his patience with the puck, and his ability to intimidate the opposition.
Knies had three assists and didn't look like a rookie at all in his first experience with the Maple Leafs.
Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari provided the experience and depth on the third line that previous Toronto teams had been lacking.
"Kyle (Leafs GM Kyle Dubas) did an unbelievable job throughout the off-season and trade deadline to put us in a position to succeed," Keefe said. "He is probably more than anybody deserved to have this result. He has believed in the group and yet he has made adjustments along the way."
Toronto had the complete package this time around, even if analytically they weren't the better team.
"I thought it was a series of just missed opportunities for our group," Lightning forward Steven Stamkos said. "Three OT losses at home in games where I thought we were the better team. I thought we played better this year in the series than we did last year. That's just a really good hockey team over there."
The joy was evident from any Leafs staffer you came across at Amalie Arena on Saturday. But their attention quickly turned to preparing for Round 2 where they will meet the winner of the Boston Bruins/Florida Panthers series. Game 7 goes Sunday evening.
"I am incredibly proud of our group and thrilled for Leafs fans that they get to see second-round hockey. There is a lot more to come."
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