One might think the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup, given the way the city of Toronto and its NHL club celebrated Saturday night.
Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas couldn't contain his excitement after his team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in overtime of Game 6 at Amalie Arena to advance to the second round for the first time since 2004.
The reaction from Kyle Dubas: pic.twitter.com/DRyqT0VTR6
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) April 30, 2023
Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews' parents took in the game live. They went wild after John Tavares' overtime winner, and then the center and his father embraced once the dust settled.
Auston Matthews' parents react to the OT winner and then Matthews and his dad share a moment after the game pic.twitter.com/i1eMMR1Jqt
— Kevin Michie (@KevinMichie) April 30, 2023
Meanwhile, back in Toronto, crowds poured onto the streets to celebrate finally getting over the opening-round hump after nearly two decades of disappointment.
All downtown bus and streetcar routes are experiencing major delays due to traffic and pedestrian congestion due to celebrations stemming from the Toronto Maple Leafs Round 1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Go, Leafs, Go!
— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) April 30, 2023
The celebration was particularly jubilant at Maple Leaf Square, just outside Scotiabank Arena.
LEAFS’ SQUARE GOES CRAZY FOR THE OT WINNER!🚨#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/tgQyplNZzT
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 30, 2023
Fireworks outside of Maple Leaf Square🍁💙 #LeafsForever #Leafsin6 pic.twitter.com/Jy8Qx6AGca
— Evan Doerfler (@evandoerfler) April 30, 2023
It's safe to say those fans don't want the Boston Bruins to win Game 7 of their first-round series against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.
“WE WANT FLORIDA!” chants in Toronto right now 🤭 pic.twitter.com/zdVa9x7HKU
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 30, 2023
Leafs fans from all walks of life reveled in the victory.
Here is Hayden Christensen, aka Anakin Skywalker, finding out the Leafs moved on to the 2nd round at the Calgary Expo! #yyc #tmltalk #leafs pic.twitter.com/tikPXUEp3I
— Andrew Mangiapane is the best Breadman (@FieryBreadman) April 30, 2023
Based on how Leafs Nation reacted to winning one round, planning a parade might just be the tip of the iceberg if the team claims the Cup.
