For the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Saturday night will go down as a night to remember for many.
On Saturday night, during Game 6 of the opening round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Maple Leafs finally got over the hump and managed to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Given that the Leafs not advancing beyond the first round had become one of the biggest jokes/memes in the hockey community, it’s easy to see why all the focus has been on the win itself. That being said though, one thing being overlooked by many is that this was also a record setting night for a franchise that has struggled mightily to get over the hump.
Both the Maple Leafs themselves and their captain, Leafs forward John Tavares, would earn themselves a little piece of National Hockey League history on Saturday night when they accomplished feats that none before them had managed.
In the case of Tavares, the Leafs captain established a new Maple Leafs record by becoming the first captain in the storied history of the franchise to score a series-clinching overtime goal. Tavares initially came to Toronto to fulfill his childhood dream of playing for his hometown team, and no doubt becoming the first captain to clinch a series for the franchise in overtime is something he will cherish for the rest of his life. It is also a record that can never be lost, given that there will never be another first.
The Maple Leafs on the other hand set a league-wide record, arguably making it more impressive than Tavares’ own, even if this record has considerably less emotional weight behind it. In their series win over the Lightning, the Maple Leafs needed to win 3 road games in overtime, a feat that has never before been accomplished by any team in the history of the Stanley Cup playoffs over the course of a single series.
Although fans in Toronto already have reason to celebrate, a few more won’t hurt.