Leafs bench reaction to last night's OT winner by Alex Kerfoot
First off - can somebody please pinch me? I must be dreaming. For the 2nd time in back-to-back games, the Leafs erased a deficit in the third period, coming back to tie the game and force overtime and in both games, they score the overtime winner to win a game they could have easily lost in enemy territory. Absolutely unreal.
The Leafs now hold a 3-1 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning with 3 chances to close out the series. Granted, we've been here before. We all remember the Montreal Canadiens series in 2021. The Leafs had home ice and several chances to close out that series as well, but we all know how that ended. However, that was then and this is now. This is a very different Leafs team and what they're proving night in and night out that not only should they not be counted out of any game, but that when the chips are down, they're still one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
Last night's win was extra special because it helped to reverse a curse that the Leafs had experienced against the Boston Bruins in 2013. Ya'll remember "it was 4-1"? Well, it was 4-1 last night, only this time, the Leafs were able to re-write history and they were the ones playing spoiler to the Lightning's party, coming back to score 3 straight goals in the third period to force overtime. And this time, instead of Patrice Bergeron, it was Alexander Kerfoot who drove the dagger through the hearts of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kerfoot is not the most popular player among the Leafs' fanbase, but he is one of the most beloved players in the Leafs' locker room. Following last night's win, just the way everyone was talking about him in their post-game media availabilities showed how well-liked and how well-respected Kerfoot is. He's the worker bee who never gets any credit because the puck never seems to cross the line for him. Well, last night it did and it was the biggest goal of his NHL career thus far. Just check out this bench reaction from his teammates.
It's not often that the likes of Auston Matthews, Ryan O'Reilly and John Tavares are on the bench during a power play in OT of a game like that one, but you can see just how thrilled all 3 of the Buds' top centers are to have watched Kerfoot put that game on ice from the bench. You absolutely love to see it.
Now, there's still some work left. The Leafs have to win the hardest one to win - the series clinching 4th win. They have 3 kicks at the can to end this series. Let's just hope they can do it on Thursday at home and get that proverbial monkey off their backs in the first round.
