Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares is excited about the opportunity at hand for his team to finally break their playoff curse. The Leafs currently hold a 3-1 lead in their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but Tavares is not getting too ahead of himself. The team has not won a playoff series since 2004 and has a history of collapsing under pressure. However, after winning back-to-back comeback overtime victories on the road, the team’s confidence is high. Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe acknowledges the past collapses but believes they have grown from them. As for the pressure, forward Ryan O’Reilly says the team is focused on one game at a time. With fans eagerly anticipating a potential first-round win, Tavares looks forward to building on their energy. The team hopes to finally put an end to their years of agonizing post-season losses and make it to the next round.
