The Leafs survive the shooting gallery — Brad Marchand might have had the best chance, but Scott Laughton got a stick in there — and that was a breathless ending to a hell of a hockey game.
The Leafs survive the shooting gallery — Brad Marchand might have had the best chance, but Scott Laughton got a stick in there — and that was a breathless ending to a hell of a hockey game.
The Panthers responded in that game. They were better than they were in Game 1, and if they play this game a few more times with better goaltending they win more than they lose, probably.
But the Leafs responded too, over and over, refusing to bend too much against the defending champs. The Panthers now have to win four of the next five games to win the series. The Leafs are, for the moment, in control.
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And to put this in perspective: The last time the Leafs went up 2-0 after the first round was 1987. It was Wendel Clark’s second year in the league. Ronald Reagan was president, and Brian Mulroney was prime minister. Wayne Gretzky was an Oiler, and Michael Jordan was a Bull.
When you look back at Toronto’s hockey history it’s often shocking how utterly threadbare it is since 1967, in a league that only expanded past six teams in 1968. Leafs fans have to hold onto the few flashes of real hope, grabbing them and holding them close, because there are so few of them. There are so few truly great post-‘67 players, with truly great resumes. There are even fewer teams that allow you to really hope.
Well, this team is now two wins from the fifth conference final for pc28since 1967, and the first since 2002. The Leafs have two goaltenders who have been better than Sergei Bobrovsky, and while the Panthers are serious, Toronto’s earned both games. Off to Florida they go, to find out what’s next.
In the NBA’s thrilling second round, the Knicks are up 2-0. In the NHL’s exciting second round, the Leafs are up 2-0. Maybe anything is possible.
Bruce Arthur is a columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:
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