Who will the Toronto Maple Leafs face in Round 2?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are moving on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades. The team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in overtime in Game 6 on Saturday night to advance.

The Maple Leafs' opponent in the second round will be determined by the outcome of the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers series. The series is currently tied 3-3 and will come down to a decisive Game 7 on Sunday in Boston.

If the Bruins win, it will set up a rematch of the 2019 playoffs when Boston defeated Toronto in the first round en route to the Stanley Cup Final. If the Panthers win, it will mark the first time these two teams meet in the postseason.

The Maple Leafs will be hoping for a matchup with the Panthers, who finished the regular season with a lower point total than the Bruins. However, both teams have shown they are capable of winning big games and the series could go either way.

Regardless of who the Toronto Maple Leafs face in the second round, the team will be looking to build on their first-round success and make a deep run in the playoffs. With Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner leading the way, Toronto has the talent to compete with any team in the league.

Toronto Maple Leafs advance to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs with OT victory over Tampa Bay Lightning

The Toronto Maple Leafs faced a tough challenge in the first round of the 2023 playoffs against the defending champions Tampa Bay Lightning. After a disappointing 7-3 defeat in the opening game of the series, the Leafs bounced back with a dominant 7-2 victory in Game 2, tying the series at 1-1.

The third and fourth games of the series both went to overtime, with the Leafs winning both games to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. However, the Lightning fought back in Game 5, winning 4-2 to extend the series and give their fans hope of a comeback.

The Maple Leafs were determined to avoid a Game 7, and they did just that in Game 6. It was a tightly contested battle, but in the end, it was Leafs captain John Tavares who scored the game-winning goal in overtime to send his team through to the second round.

The victory was especially sweet for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, as it marked the first time since 2019 that the Lightning failed to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Despite some ups and downs in the first round, the Maple Leafs showed their resilience and determination and will now look to build on this momentum as they continue their quest for their first Stanley Cup in over 50 years.