Sunday Apr 30, 2023
The Toronto Maple Leafs at last high level in the NHL end of the season games, and mentor Sheldon Keefe battled to track down the right words to catch the occasion.
"It's been a drawn out, difficult experience for a ton of our folks. … They've experienced a ton, been scrutinized a ton," he said Saturday night after John Tavares scored 4:35 into extra time, and the Maple Leafs beat the Tampa Narrows Lightning 2-1 for their first postseason win in almost twenty years.
"Today is a critical stage, yet we won't celebrate anything past," Keefe added. "There's a great deal of work ahead. … I feel like the best is on the way."
Finishing a baffling dry spell that included first-round leaves every one of the beyond six years, the Maple Leafs won the best-of-seven matchup in six games and progressed to Eastern Gathering elimination rounds against Boston or Florida. The Bruins and Pumas play Game 7 of their first-round series on Sunday in Boston.
"You're feeling better, and you're blissful," Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said. "Simultaneously, it's the main round. We need to continue onward."
Toronto progressed in a series interestingly starting around 2004, winning multiple times in extra time out and about and finishing a 11-game long string of failures in end games.
The misfortune, in the mean time, closes Tampa Narrows' run of three back to back appearances in the Stanley Cup Last. The Lightning came out on top for consecutive titles in 2020 and 2021, and afterward lost to the Colorado Torrential slide in six games a year ago.
"We played alright to win the series, however you can't lose three additional time games at home," Lightning mentor Jon Cooper said.
In any case, missing the mark against the Maple Leafs was extreme in the wake of prevailing upon 11 of 12 season finisher series the past three postseasons.
"This group hasn't lost a season finisher series against the Eastern Gathering beginning around 2019. It's 2023," Cooper said. "We're not used to this inclination."
Auston Matthews scored his fifth objective of the series for Toronto, beating Andrei Vasilevskiy from the highest point of the right circle at 13:47 of the subsequent period. Tavares added the victor, which streamed past the Lightning goalie in the wake of diverting off a protector's skate.
"Clearly, it an extraordinary inclination when the puck goes into the net," said Tavares, who had his most memorable profession season finisher full go-around to key a succeed at home in Match 2.
The Maple Leafs likewise dominated Matches 3 and 4 out and about, with Rielly and Alexander Kerfoot scoring winning objectives in additional time.
"You can't beat Tampa Inlet without it being a collaboration," Keefe said.
Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning, which a year prior mobilized from 2-1 and 3-2 series shortages to dispense with Toronto in the first round in quite a while.
Stamkos felt Tampa Cove played preferable this year over it did in overcoming the Maple Leafs during the 2022 end of the season games.
"I concur," Cooper said.
Two evenings in the wake of halting 28 shots to fight off disposal and trim Toronto's series lead to 3-2 in Game 5, Vasilevskiy was large and in charge once more.
Toronto goalie Ilya Samsonov was comparable, however, holding Tampa Narrows scoreless until Stamkos situated himself entirely before the net to thump in a bounce back at 4:19 of the third time frame.
Samsonov wrapped up with 31 recoveries. Vasilevskiy halted 20 of 22 shots.
Hitting RETURNS
Toronto forward Michael Hitting got back to the setup interestingly since he was suspended for three games for an unlawful check to the head and obstruction against Tampa Inlet defenseman Erik Cernak during Game 1. He was qualified to return for Game 5, yet Keefe decide to go with a similar setup for the fourth consecutive game. Cernak has not played for the Lightning since the series opener.
