Sports

After overtime loss to Tampa Bay, Toronto Maple Leafs still trying to break 18-year drought in opening round of playoffs

Leafs fans have been waiting 55 years for another Stanley Cup

by Charlie Smith on May 12th, 2022 at 9:07 PM
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      The Toronto Maple Leafs are still trying to break the Hillman Hex.

      Tonight, they blew a third period lead to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then, late in the first overtime period, Brayden Point found the back of the net, giving the Lightning a 4-3 win.

      It ties the first-round playoff series at 3-3 with Game 7 scheduled on Saturday (May 14) in Toronto.

      The Leafs have not won a first-round playoff series since 2004, when the beat the Senators in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

      They bowed out to the Flyers in the following series.

      Toronto hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1967.

      Back then, one of the team's defencemen, Larry Hillman, allegedly put a hex on the team after owner Harold Ballard fined him $2,400. Hillman's "crime" was holding out on a contract after the Leafs had won the championship.

      The team finally repaid Hillman in 2017, but that hasn't helped the Leafs win a first-round series, let alone the Cup.

      Perhaps the team's fortunes will change on Saturday.

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