What the Leafs roster looked like the last time they won a playoff series

The 2004 Toronto Maple Leafs were one HELL of a team of memorable names, and also the last time the Blue & White were able to win a playoff series.

Here’s hoping these Leafs can do the same against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Game 1 against Tampa gets underway at 7:30 pm ET on CBC and Sportsnet.

Joe Nieuwendyk, Ron Francis, Brian Leetch, Tomas Kaberle, Ed Belfour, and Bryan McCabe were quite the unit of hockey talent on that 2004 team.

They won their first round matchup against a divisional rival in Ottawa (their fourth series win over the nation’s capital in just five seasons).

Just one current Leafs players was in the league at that time. Jason Spezza was in the building for the Leafs win, as a scratch for the Senators. Coincidentally, Jason Spezza is a scratch for the Leafs tonight.

Auston Matthews was six years old.

Here’s the Leafs’ forward group from that night, a 4-1 win over the Sens on April 20, 2004:

Mats Sundin, as you may (or may not… it’s been a bit) recall was dealing with an injury and missed several games in the 2004 playoffs.

And here’s the defence/ goaltending:

Nobody on this list was able to win anything much else as Leaf, as it would be the last time they’d make the playoffs until the 2013 shortened season.

It was also quite the physical affair.

Here’s the highlights from that Game 7.

If the Leafs are finally set to break their 18-year-drought, well, it all gets underway tonight.

Screenshots via NHL.com & Hockey-Reference.com