The NHL playoffs are just around the corner, and fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs are eagerly anticipating their team’s first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the full schedule now released, the excitement is building for what promises to be an exhilarating showdown between two of the league’s top teams. As the Maple Leafs prepare to take on the defending Stanley Cup champions, fans are gearing up for an intense battle that could go down to the wire. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the upcoming series and what fans can expect from these talented teams as they battle it out for a shot at playoff glory.
The National Hockey League released the dates for the first two games of the Stanley Cup playoffs for each series early on Friday morning. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning will play Game 1 on Tuesday, followed by Game 2 next Thursday at Scotiabank Arena. The remainder of the first-round series schedule was announced after the Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators on Friday night in the final regular season game of 2022-23. The complete schedule for the first-round series involving Toronto and Tampa Bay includes Game 3 on Saturday 22 April at TB, and Game 4 on Monday 24 April at TB. Games 5, 6, and 7, if necessary, will be played on Thursday 27 April, Saturday 29 April, and Monday 1 May, respectively.
The Leafs won the season series against the Lightning, going 2-0-1 in three games between the Atlantic Division rivals. Last year, the Lightning beat the Leafs in Game 7 of the first round. Leafs forward Noel Acciari believes that the team is on the right track after finishing the season with a 3-2 win against the New York Rangers. Acciari said that they played three playoff teams to end the season and that the one-goal games helped them get ready for playoff-type hockey. “Each game we have got better,” he added. Postmedia’s Terry Koshan can be contacted at tkoshan@postmedia.com or reached on Twitter at @koshtorontosun.
As the playoffs draw nearer, the anticipation and excitement only continue to build for Toronto Maple Leafs fans everywhere. With the full schedule of their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning now released, the countdown to game one has officially begun. While these two teams are no strangers to each other, this series presents a unique opportunity for the Leafs to prove themselves and advance further in the playoffs than they have in recent years. As we gear up for what is sure to be an intense and thrilling series, Leafs Nation stands united in support of our team. Let’s go Leafs!