Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
It was a very different and unusual awakening for the world of field hockey to see Leafs fans still smiling at the end of April.
Since 2004, the Leafs had become accustomed to making their fans suffer, and the rest of field hockey fans laugh, in April by being eliminated in the first round.
We were all used to seeing the leaves fall in spring.
That curse finally came to an end last night, however, as the Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime against the Lightning in Tampa Bay to end the series.
It had been exactly 6948 days since the Leafs had reached the second round of the playoffs.
The last time the Leafs won a series, the Expos presented the same line-up on the same day.
A season that promised to be perilous 😅 pic.twitter.com/kO315tS9AP
– Daniel Richard (@DanRichard_RDS) April 30, 2023
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So it’s easy to understand the different reactions in Toronto last night after John Tavares’ goal.
GAME WINNER!
SERIES WINNER!LET’S. GO. LEAFS. NATION!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/dkttq8eBpW
– Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 30, 2023
PASSION ERUPT 🗣 pic.twitter.com/jcCXDHOFWu
– Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 30, 2023
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In Tampa, too, we saw some big reactions from the crowd.
Here’s one from Auston Matthews’ parents.
Auston Matthews’ parents react to the OT winner and then Matthews and his dad share a moment after the game pic.twitter.com/i1eMMR1Jqt
– Kevin Michie (@KevinMichie) April 30, 2023
We may be disappointed that the Leafs’ curse has been broken, but parents’ reactions are always a pleasure to see.
In fact, it’s not just the fans who have had crazy reactions.
Kyle Dubas and Sheldon Keefe jumped like they’d just won the Stanley Cup.
The reaction from Kyle Dubas: pic.twitter.com/DRyqT0VTR6
– Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) April 30, 2023
Sheldon Keefe is the only living person who has coached the Toronto Maple Leafs to a playoff series win.
Red Kelly, who passed in 2019, had been the last surviving among Leafs (head) coaches to win at least one playoff series. pic.twitter.com/HsaEw4X1ak
– Jessica Corbett (@jcorb_) April 30, 2023
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I sincerely believe that Sheldon Keefe broke a high jump record on the sequence.
This is the third time the Leafs’ general manager and head coach duo have reached the second round together for the first time.
In their fourth season together as general manager and head coach of the @MapleLeafs, Kyle Dubas and Sheldon Keefe will both lead the team into the Second Round of the #StanleyCup Playoffs.
#NHLStats: https://t.co/uaqZO2bRxe pic.twitter.com/jkizhDcxDs– NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 30, 2023
In short, it’s been crazy in Toronto since Tavares’ goal in overtime.
Fireworks went off after the goal, just as they did in Montreal after Artturi Lehkonen’s goal against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Even though my heart as a CH fan is saddened to no longer be able to laugh at the Leafs, part of me is happy for its fans, most of whom have been waiting for this moment forever.
They’ll be experiencing for the first time what a second-round series is all about.
THEY DID IT STEVE!!! THEY DID IT!!!
Watch the Playoffs with @Steve_Dangle presented by@bet365ca pic.twitter.com/5AUXIjXfhN
– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 30, 2023
The Leafs players were surely celebrating loudly last night in their locker room and afterwards.
Another case of Bud Light was just delivered to the #leafs dressing room.
– Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 30, 2023
The entire organization has the day off today.
Leafs have a team day off today.
– James Mirtle (@mirtle) April 30, 2023
The Leafs are now waiting to find out their opponent in the second round.
They’ll face the winner of Game 7 between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers tonight at Boston’s TD Garden.
On the move
– Aaron Rodgers was on hand last night at Madison Square Garden.
Aaron Rodgers, Breece Hall and Allen Lazard in the house for Devils-Rangers 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1freAS1LnZ
– ESPN (@espn) April 30, 2023
– He already seems to like it there.
🚨 AARON RODGERS SINGING THE GOAL SONG 🚨
(allenlazard/IG) pic.twitter.com/Y6NdN9Xnii
– Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 30, 2023
– Oliver Kapanen’s season in review.
Grading Oliver Kapanen’s season: The forward took on more responsibilities as the year progressed https://t.co/hEzTBsMfBw
– Eyes On The Prize (@HabsEOTP) April 30, 2023
– It’s actually quite new for them not to be on vacation.
Nobody in management know what to do now, and need to figure things out. 🤪 https://t.co/lWFzf3i7vP
– Andrew Zadarnowski (@AZadarski) April 30, 2023
– What to expect this off-season from the Wild?
#mnwild GM Bill Guerin’s offseason checklist: Navigating cap, evaluating roster, coaching staff, more
By@JoeSmithNHLand me https://t.co/NMWygGB4f4
– Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 30, 2023
– Perez champion in Baku.
BAKU BELONGS TO PEREZ!
Red Bull pick up yet another 1-2 finish this season as their domination continues.
He cuts Verstappen’s Championship lead to just 6 points after winning both the Sprint and the main Grand Prix this weekend.#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/TJLL4i1h5P
– TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 30, 2023