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Top 5 Toronto Maple Leafs Playoff Games in Recent Years

By Mitchell Hartman

The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate winning Game Six of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs on an overtime goal by John Tavares #91 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on April 29, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate winning Game Six of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs on an overtime goal by John Tavares #91 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on April 29, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Apr 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34)   Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Top 5 Toronto Maple Leafs Playoff Games in Recent Years

No. 5, 2017 First Round, Game 3

First up on the list is game 3 from the 2017 first round, where the Leafs made their first playoff appearance since 2013.

The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the series as massive underdogs, facing off against the Cup favourites and Presidents’ Trophy winners, Washington Capitals.

The Leafs dropped game 1 in Washington but took game 2 thanks to a clutch overtime goal from Kasperi Kapanen.

Heading back to Toronto with a 1-1 tie, the Leafs were in a series in which many people said they had no chance.

However, game 3 did not start according to plan.

The Leafs found themselves down 2-0 after just 5 minutes of play, and despite Auston Matthews scoring his first-ever playoff goal to cut the lead in half, the Capitals scored another goal early in the second to make the game 3-1 and restore the 2-goal lead.

However, the Leafs did not give up. They tied the game at 3-3 before the end of the second and managed to force OT, where they had an early chance on the power play.

Tyler Bozak tipped home a shot-pass from Nazem Kadri, giving the Leafs the win and a 2-1 series lead.

This game was thoroughly entertaining and showed the Leafs’ resilience against a strong team. While Toronto ended up losing the series in six games, this was still a terrific win and gave Leafs fans tons of hope for the future.

Game highlights: (here)

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