'A big one for us': Leafs win 1st playoff series since 2004 - NewsBreak

Maj Kim Patterson "TAMPA, Fla. -- John Tavares scored 4:35 into overtime, and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Saturday night for their first NHL playoff series win in nearly two decades.

The Maple Leafs won the best-of-seven matchup in six games, winning three times in overtime on the road and ending an 11-game losing streak in elimination games. They advanced in a series for the first time since 2004, a frustrating drought that included first-round exits in each of the past six seasons.

"It was a little bit of a relief, for sure," Toronto forward Mitchell Marner said. "Just to be able to get that done, but got to make sure we are ready because it just gets harder and harder."

The loss, meanwhile, ends Tampa Bay's run of three consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning won back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021, but they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in six games last year."...