2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs – Page 2

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)

By NHL Public Relations

April 29, 2023

Captain John Tavares ended the MapleLeafs’ 19-year series win drought with an overtime goal and officially sent Toronto to the 2023 Second Round on Saturday, April 29.

Toronto defeated Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in OT on the road at Amalie Arena to take the 7-game series 4-2.

The Maple Leafs snapped a streak of eight consecutive series losses dating to the 2004 Conference Semifinals, which was the League’s lengthiest active drought and tied for the fifth longest in NHL history.

Kyle Dubas and Sheldon Keefe became the fifth different general manager and head coach duo in Maple Leafs history to each record their first series-clinching win together. The others are Dan Maloney and Gerry McNamara in the 1986 Division Semifinals, Dick Carroll and Charles Querrie in 1918 NHL Final, Punch Imlach in 1959 SF and Conn Smythe in 1929 QF. Imlach and Smythe were both the head coach and general manager in those respective series.

The Maple Leafs will face the winner of Boston-Florida. The Maple Leafs have faced the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 16 times in franchise history, with four of those instances coming in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, this could be the very first playoff matchup between the Maple Leafs and Panthers.

The Maple Leafs have now earned a series-clinching win against 17 different franchises (including defunct and non-NHL teams). The only clubs with more are the Canadiens (25), Red Wings (22), Rangers (22), Blackhawks (20), Avalanche/Nordiques (19), Bruins (18) and Penguins (18).

Series-clinching overtime goals, Maple Leafs franchise history:

Garry Valk – Game 6 of 1999 CSF
Nikolai Borschevsky – Game 7 of 1993 DSF
Lanny McDonald – Game 7 of 1978 QF
Bill Barilko – Game 5 of 1951 SCF
Gordie Drillon – Game 3 of 1939 SF
Gordie Drillon – Game 3 of 1938 SF
Pep Kelly – Game 4 of 1935 SF
Ken Doraty – Game 5 of 1933 SF (6OT)
Bob Gracie – Game 2 of 1932 SF

The Maple Leafs became the first team to snap a streak of eight-plus consecutive series losses since the Islanders did so against the Panthers in Game 6 of the 2016 First Round, when current Toronto captain John Tavares tallied the double-overtime clincher.

And now, John Tavares can be added to Series-clinching overtime goals in Maple Leafs history.

Source: nhl.com

2023

By NHL Public Relations

April 29, 2023

Toronto, Edmonton and New Jersey can advance to the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs while Tampa Bay, Los Angeles and New York can force more winner-take-all showdowns as three pivotal Game 6s go Saturday. The Devils-Rangers is carried on ABC and ESPN+ in the U.S., while the Maple Leafs-Lightning and Oilers-Kings will be on TBS – each contest will be showcased on Sportsnet and TVA Sports programming in Canada.

* The Maple Leafs will have another opportunity to advance as the First Round shifts back to AMALIE Arena, where Toronto earned consecutive wins to take a 3-1 series lead thanks to overtime goals by Morgan Rielly and Alexander Kerfoot. The Lightning have forced a Game 7 after facing a 3-1 series deficit once in franchise history, doing so against the Penguins in the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals before earning a 1-0 victory in the winner-take-all showdown to advance – Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman appeared in all seven contests during that round.

* Leon Draisaitl (6-4—10 in 5 GP) enters Saturday with at least one goal in four of the Oilers’ five contests against the Kings, who hope to stave off elimination and send their First Round series against Edmonton to Game 7 for a second straight year. Anze Kopitar (7-9—16 in 13 GP) has 16 career points in potential elimination games, which are tied with Wayne Gretzky (8-8—16 in 10 GP) for second place on the franchise’s all-time list behind Luc Robitaille (9-13—22 in 18 GP).

* Akira Schmid and the Devils aim to secure a fourth straight win and close out their First Round series with the “No Quit in New York” Rangers, who earned wins in each of their first five potential elimination games last year. Chris Kreider (15-4—19 in 27 GP) needs one goal to tie the NHL record for most when facing elimination, which is held by former New York captain Mark Messier (16-12—28 in 24 GP) – Messier had three of his 16 against New Jersey in Game 6 of the 1994 Conference Finals when he famously delivered on his guarantee that the Rangers would earn a win.