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Fans in streets of Toronto were going nuts as Maple Leafs force yet another Game 7

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
May 17 2025, 3:13 am
Fans in streets of Toronto were going nuts as Maple Leafs force yet another Game 7
Fareen Karim/blogTO

Just when the Toronto Maple Leafs seemed ready to break their fans hearts once more, luck finally turned in their favour.

Two nights after a 6-1 Game 5 loss that seemed like it could’ve killed the Leafs’ shot at winning their second round series against the Florida Panthers, Toronto found just enough to force a Game 7 on home ice on Sunday.

With the score tied 0-0 midway through the third period, Toronto captain Auston Matthews took a pass from Mitch Marner and slotted home his first goal of the series to open the scoring.

Toronto veteran Max Pacioretty scored a second goal a few minutes later to double the lead, and the Leafs ended the night with a 2-0 win to close out the series.

Back in Toronto, the team was hosting a watch party both inside at Scotiabank Arena and their traditional Maple Leaf Square big screen outside of the rink.

And once the final buzzer went off, fans in the streets of the city were going nuts as they forced yet another Game 7.

 

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The party even stretched down Bay Street as fans found their way to Union Station, home, or their next party stop of the evening.

 

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While some people describe a Game 7 as “the best two words in hockey”, Leafs fans haven’t always felt that way.

Dating back to 2013, the team has gone 0-6 in winner-take-all contests, losing four to the Boston Bruins, and one each to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. While the 5-4 overtime loss might be Toronto’s most famous collapse due to their 4-1 third period lead, they’ve also been one goal away from winning

Toronto’s last win in a Game 7 came in 2004, when they knocked off the Ottawa Senators in a first-round series.

The two teams meet again in Toronto in less than 48 hours, with puck drop set for 7 p.m EDT on Sunday night, with the winner set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.

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