With Thursday’s big win over the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs, as we all expected, push the series to the winner-take-all Game 7 that will take place on Saturday.
As recent playoff history has shown, the Toronto Maple Leafs never have had any trouble in extending a playoff series to the limit. The key will be will they be able to overcome the hurdle of finally winning a Game 7 after more than two decades.
In the past seven seasons, the Leafs have gone 0-4 in the fateful seventh game, including dropping two to the pesky Bruins. On top of that, they have been outscored 17-7 in those contests, with only the 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021-22 playoffs being the only close match.
If we go even further back, then we arrive at the forgettable 2012-13 season, where the Maple Leafs will forever be remembered for blowing a 4-1 lead to lose 5-4 in overtime at the hands of those same Bruins.
Is it Finally Lucky Seven This Time for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
So to find the last time that the Leafs have actually won a Game 7, we would have to go back all the way to the 2003-04 season when the likes of Ed Belfour, Mats Sundin, Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker and Tomas Kaberle were still playing for Toronto.
In the first round series that year, they beat their provincial rivals Ottawa Senators 4-1 to advance to the second round to face the Philadelphia Flyers, who ultimately ended their Stanley Cup run. Who would have thought at the time that it would be the last time the Leafs would win a playoff series until more than two decades later.
So can the Leafs defeat the jinx and make it two years in a row in making it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Will it finally be lucky “seven” for Toronto this time so that they can finally dispatch their long-time nemesis once and for all? Can they actually do the unthinkable and complete the impressive comeback?
For it to have any chance to come to fruition, the Leafs will need to play the desperate hockey that they have been doing the past two games. They will also need goaltender Joseph Woll to stand on his head and win one for the team, just like what he has been doing since getting the starting job in Game 5.
But the most importantly, maybe Auston Matthews will be back. Maybe not. In the playoffs, teams don't exactly leak out any injury information. But whether he plays or not, the Leafs look to be in good shape heading into the game. (All stats from NHL.com)
Nevertheless, all eyes in the hockey world will be locked in on the epic matchup on Saturday. So please for once, Toronto Maple Leafs, please get the job done to end all our nightmares.