19 Years in the Making: Leafs Finally Advance

They did it! They finally did it!

Normally, I would be writing a "What Went Wrong" piece about the Tampa Bay Lightning, but I can't do that, because I don't want to take away from this moment. The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up going to overtime in Game Six of their Atlantic Semifinal series against the Lightning; a game that saw Auston Matthews strike first, only for Steven Stamkos to tie it up in the 3rd period. 1-1 was the score heading into the fourth frame, and I watched with anticipation, hoping the Leafs would pull this off. We would see John Tavares, the current Leafs captain, take the puck, shoot it, and it found its way into the net.

I literally screamed when Tavares' shot went in. They did it. They actually won a series.

Let's get one thing perfectly clear. I'm not a Maple Leafs fan, but I'm a huge Maple Leafs sympathizer. The Leafs are one of the most hallowed teams in the NHL, but with the way fans talk about them, it doesn't seem that way. The Leafs have been snakebit time and time and time again. In just a few short days, it'll be 56 years since the Leafs hoisted the Stanley Cup. May 2, 1967 was the day that the Leafs captured the Stanley Cup for the 13th and most recent time. What's happened since then? Close calls, missed calls, bad trades, missed opportunities, the high stick that should have been called, and the biggest plague to hit the Leafs, Harold Ballard.

But at least in that time that passed between 1968 and 2004, the Leafs actually advanced in the playoffs. 2004 saw them defeat their favorite punching bags, the Ottawa Senators, to move on to round 2. They were ousted by the Philadelphia Flyers, and after the Cup was awarded, the NHL was locked out. The league returned in 2005. Playoff series victories for the Leafs, however, didn't. In fact, the Leafs wouldn't see the playoffs again until the shortened 2012-13 season, but it would see them defeated by the Boston Bruins in seven games, despite Toronto having a 4-1 lead late in Game Seven. That year would begin a wave of first round jinxes for the Leafs.

Lost in six games to the Washington Capitals in 2017; that didn't hurt so much because this was the Leafs' first year with Auston Matthews, and it was believed that the Leafs were ahead of schedule with this uprising. Then there was the back-to-back years of losses to the Bruins (2018 and 2019). 2018 saw them lead in Game Seven but lose, and 2019 saw them up 3-2 in the series, but fail to clinch at home in Game Six, followed by a shellacking in Boston. The 2020 bubble saw the Leafs lose a five game series to the Columbus Blue Jackets, which included being shutout twice.

2021 and 2022 saw them lose Game Seven at home, but 2021 was the worse of the two. The Leafs led 3-1 over the Montréal Canadiens, but they would lose three straight in a series that the Leafs were heavily favored to win. Last year was the loss to the Lightning, which gave Toronto the longest playoff series victory drought in the league, as the Florida Panthers ended their drought that same year. When this rematch was made, I knew the Leafs would win, because the Lightning were at a very weak point, plus the Leafs are still immensely strong. It showed in the series, as the Leafs took a 3-1 series lead, winning three straight after losing Game One. They did lose Game Five, and that's when the negativity started:

"They're going to choke again."

"It's happening again."

"Here comes another collapse."

Yeah, about that...

John Tavares was signed by the Leafs in the summer of 2018, and we all know that story. A controversial exit from the New York Islanders, the whole "been a Leafs fan since childhood" story, all that jazz. He's had great regular seasons, but the playoffs have not gone well for him since joining the Leafs. For one, Game Five of that Qualifying Round series against the Jackets saw Tavares miss a wide open net (he hit the post). Sadly, Tavares was out for the entire 2021 series after a bad injury in Game One, and while 2022 was fruitful for Tavares, it still wasn't enough. This year, however, Tavares came through big time. Four goals in the series, with his fourth being the one that ended a 19-year drought. I actually picked Tavares to score that OT winner; it seemed fitting that the captain would get it done.

I had been vocal (no pun intended) about Kyle Dubas since last year. I felt that Dubas should have been fired as Leafs GM after last year's loss, and it looked like the offseason moves were disastrous. Yet despite all of this, the Leafs did it. They advanced for the first time since 2004, and as a result, they have no reason to let go of Dubas. They got four playoff wins. Their job isn't close to being done, but at least that proverbial monkey is off their back. No matter what happens after this, Kyle Dubas' job is safe. We'll see what Round 2 brings.

I am immensely and deliriously happy for Maple Leafs fans, and that includes one certain fan on Vocal: Cathy Holmes. Ever since I read her story about being a Maple Leafs fan, my hope for anything good for the Leafs increased even more. People say what they want about Leafs fans, but they are a passionate bunch. They love their Leafs, even with the problems and jinxes that have hovered over their team for over half a century. It breaks my heart that they often look for the other shoe to drop, and even worse, it does drop at times. Not this time. For a while, at least, the other shoe remains on.

So who now has the longest current playoff series victory drought in the NHL? None other than the Buffalo Sabres, who already have the longest current playoff drought in the league. Buffalo's last series win came in 2007, when they defeated the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Leafs fans are still drinking this in, but they know the job isn't done yet. Even so, they should take the time leading to the Elite Eight pounding their chests all they want. They absolutely deserve to do that.

Check out Cathy Holmes' story below!