The Maple Leafs won their first playoff series in 19 years and fans went absolutely wild

The curse is finally broken, Toronto!

This is a day Toronto Maple Leafs fans have been waiting to see for nearly two decades.

On Saturday, the Maple Leafs bested the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in overtime in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. John Tavares scored the overtime winner for the Maple Leafs after Tampa Bay tied the game up early on in the third period.

After going up 3-1 in the series, the Maple Leafs allowed the Lightning to bring the series back to Tampa Bay for one more game. Thankfully for Maple Leafs fans, the team finally closed out a playoff series with a gritty victory for the first time in 19 years thanks to Tavares’ stunning overtime winner.

Talk about a moment many, many years of playoff disappointments in the making! For years, the Maple Leafs have failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, with many a Game 7 loss to their name. Now, however, the team gets to play a new slate of playoff hockey with the weight of the world off their shoulders.

And clearly, it meant a lot to the team, as here’s how general manager Kyle Dubas reacted to the victory.

Plus, Maple Leafs radio went wild, as expected.

Here’s how Maple Leafs fans reacted on Twitter after the historic and cathartic victory.