Toronto captain John Tavares scored in overtime Saturday night, and the Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 to win their first playoff series since 2004, ousting the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions.
— 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 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.
