The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally done it. After not having won a playoff series since all the way back in 2004, they grinded out a 2-1 overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 to advance to the second-round of the postseason. While John Tavares will get a lot of praise, and rightfully so, for his game-winning goal, none of this would have been possible if it weren't for Auston Matthews opening the scoring back in the second period.

In his seventh season with the Maple Leafs, Matthews has experienced the heartbreak that Toronto has frequently suffered in the playoffs, which made this victory so special for him. There was a lot to be said after the Maple Leafs broke their long standing playoff curse, but Matthews opted to keep things short after the victory, dropping a quick truth bomb that surely resonates with many Toronto fans.

“That was a huge monkey off our backs.” – Auston Matthews, NHL.com

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Sometimes, it's the shortest responses that carry the most weight, and that is definitely the case here. The Maple Leafs had come so close to ending their playoff winning drought on several occasions, but always seemed to find a way to mess things up. Steven Stamkos' game-tying goal early in the third period seemed to be a sign that the Maple Leafs were falling apart once again, but they ended up getting the last laugh in overtime.

This is obviously a huge victory for the Maple Leafs, but there is still a ton of work to be done, and that's something that wasn't lost on Matthews and the rest of his team after this game. With their spot in the second-round secured, Toronto can sit back on Sunday and watch the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers battle it out to see which of them will end up moving on to be the Maple Leafs next opponent.