‘And here’s Roenick in on a two-on-one… Roenick shoots, he scores!
Jeremy Roenick sends the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals!
Sudden death magic for J.R., and the Flyers move on.
The crowd is quiet as the Flyers get a victory…’
Nineteen years ago today – May 4, 2004 – Jeremy Roenick scored the series-winning goal in overtime of Game 6 for the Philadelphia Flyers to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs from the second round of the NHL playoffs.
That night, Dan McNee – a known diehard Flyers fan, and at that point in my life a complete stranger from the faraway land known as Fordwich – celebrated in his parents’ living room. A mere 20 kilometres away, I was also in my parents’ living room, head down as the Leafs’ chances of winning the Stanley Cup had ended for another season.
As a lifelong Leafs fan, seeing my team eliminated from the playoffs was nothing new. I am of a generation that has never seen the Leafs win the Stanley Cup. In 2004, it had been 37 years since they hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup.
There had been some close calls, such as 1993 (Gretzky high-sticked Gilmour, a blown call that changed that series). But making the playoffs was a regular occurrence.
“There’s always next year,” said literally any Leafs fan.
That’s right – 2005 would be our year.
And it wasn’t.
In 2004, 18-year-old Mike didn’t think it would be the last time that his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs would win a playoff series.
But it was.
Fast forward to Saturday, April 29, 2023 – Game 6, Toronto and Tampa Bay. Leafs lead the series 3-2.
In the past handful of years, I’d watched the Leafs blow series lead after series lead. Last year, I sat in a hotel room with my family on vacation screaming at the TV because the Leafs blew yet another series lead and failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
As much as I love the Leafs, my gut was telling me it was going to happen again. We were going to be seeing a Game 7.
Cameron, my oldest, is 11. He has never seen the Leafs win a playoff series, and he has seen the Leafs lose his entire life. He was confident on Saturday night.
“This is the year they do it, Dad.”
At the end of the third period, tied 1-1 and heading into overtime for the third time this series, Cameron turned to me once again.
“Tampa doesn’t have it this year. Leafs are gonna win, I know it.”
I asked why he felt that way. He responded with some of his crazy hockey knowledge.
“Tavares is gonna score the goal – either him or (Ryan) O’Reilly,” he said. “Tavares scored the goal to end the Islanders’ playoff drought, he’s gonna do the same for Toronto.”
“I hope you’re right.”
‘And it’s John Tavares behind the net, coming out in front… Tavares scores! John Tavares!
They finally caught lightning in a bottle! And the Maple Leafs have broken the 19-year curse!’
Four minutes and 36 seconds into overtime, I fell off my chair and Cameron jumped off the couch as John Tavares scored the game-winning, series-winning goal.
For the first time in Cameron’s life, he got to feel what it is like to see your team win a series.
After we celebrated, I looked at my phone to see a message from my college roommate – the same roommate I happened to watch the Leafs’ last series win with:
“First series win since 2004! God, we’re old! Had you and Grace even met yet when they won last?”
No, no we had not.
A lot has happened in the past 19 years, since that fateful night where Jeremy Roenick and the Flyers eliminated the Leafs, such as:
– Canada has had three different prime ministers;
– Ontario has had three different premiers;
– two franchises have joined the NHL since 2004;
– minimum wage was $6.85 in Ontario in 2004;
– gas was 76.6 cents per litre in 2004;
– the first iPhone had not been released yet (2007); and
– video rental stores were still popular.
Interestingly enough, the Boston Red Sox ended their World Series drought in 2004. I guess the sports gods had to put a curse on another franchise – why not the Leafs?
Hopefully by shaking this curse, the Leafs will find the same level of success that the 2004 Red Sox did.
“This is the year they do it, Dad.”
He’s got me be-Leaf-ing, he really does!
***
Mike Wilson is the editor of Midwestern Newspapers. He considers this past weekend to be one of his favourite hockey weekends of all time, as the Leafs won a series and the Boston Bruins were eliminated in a 24-hour span. Comments and feedback are welcome at mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
