Led by Alexander Mogilny and Gary Roberts, the Maple Leafs prevailed 4-2 over the New York Islanders in the seventh and deciding game of their NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final before 19,519 nail-biting fans at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday.
The home team won all seven games in the hotly-contested series.
"We didn't play very well on the road,'' said Curtis Joseph, who made 31 saves.
Chris Osgood lies in pain after being clipped by Gary Roberts.(CP Photo)
"They played exceptionally well at home. It was a battle.
"Thank goodness, we had home-ice advantage.''
"We never quit," added Mogilny, still nauseous from a weekend flu.
Karel Pilar, Alex Mogilny and Jyrki Lumme celebrate a goal.(CP Photo)
"Everybody stepped up in different games and in different times."
Mogilny tallied twice for the fourth-seeded Maple Leafs, who will host the seventh-ranked Ottawa Senators in the conference semifinals starting Thursday (7 p.m. ET, CBC).
Toronto ousted Ottawa in the opening round in 2000 and 2001.
"We're obviously bandaged together at his point," Roberts said. "Ottawa has had some days off.
"They had a great series and they are going to be fresh and hungry."
As much as Mogilny shone offensively, it was Roberts who grabbed the leadership reins and set the tone with a rugged, no-holds barred performance right from the outset.
Roberts had a goal and an assist while Travis Green's goal proved to be the game-winner.
"Tonight, we played a great game led by Gary Roberts," Joseph said. "Everybody gave it the extra effort."
"It's a great sense of satisfaction," Roberts told CBC's Scott Oake.
"The guys pulled together, played a disciplined game and we pulled it out."
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Alexei Yashin and Kip Miller replied in a losing cause for the Islanders, who wound up 0-4 at the ACC.
"It's disappointing right now," Islanders rookie head coach Peter Laviolette said. "It stinks.
"We weren't brutal, but we certainly could have played better."
Toronto has taken two of three playoff series from New York, the other courtesy Lanny McDonald's memorable overtime goal in a 2-1 win on Apr. 29, 1978.
The Islanders swept a best-of-five from the Leafs three years later, but this time around failed to advance beyond the first round for only the sixth time in 18 tries.
Toronto is now 10-8 all-time in Game 7s, including 5-1 at home.
New York fell to 3-4.
Not surprisingly, with so much at stake, Game 7 featured plenty of clutch 'n grab hockey and none of the fisticuffs which had come to define the series.
As it was, both teams were assessed a mere four minor penalties apiece.
"Both teams were trying to be smart," Roberts said. "It was a tough game for the enforcers to play."
Not only were the Leafs depleted by injuries to Mats Sundin (wrist), Mikael Renberg (hamstring), Dmitry Yushkevich (leg), Cory Cross (groin) and Tom Barrasso (hand), but Shayne Corson was suspended for trying to kick Eric Cairns late in Game 6.
"Our guys played with courage against a tough opponent in a very tough series," Leafs head coach and general manager Pat Quinn said. "It was almost like last man standing."
"I can honestly say I've never been prouder," Tie Domi added. "We've been through a lot of adversity and we didn't make any excuses.
"Everybody wrote us off when we lost our leader (Sundin).''
The Islanders were minus captain Michael Peca (knee), Kenny Jonsson (concussion), Brad Isbister (wrist), Kevin Haller (groin) and Radek Martinek (knee).
Toronto threatened on its first shift, but Domi's short backhand was turned aside by a diving Chris Osgood.
"It's very disappointing," Osgood said. "It's tough when you work so hard and battle back so well.
"The guys showed a ton of character and that experience has great value. We take a lot of pride in the great strides we made this season."
Yashin opened the scoring for New York at the 3:41 mark.
Left unchecked by defencemen Aki Berg and Jyrki Lumme in the slot, the crafty centre spun and beat Joseph low to the glove side for his third goal of the series.
It was New York's 11th power play goal of the series.
"We wanted to win so badly," Yashin said.
"We had them where we wanted them," added Adrian Aucoin, who set up Yashin smartly from the point.
"Maybe we sat back and played them a little too laid back."
Toronto responded with successive scoring chances as Karel Pilar sprung Robert Reichel, who was pokechecked by Osgood.
Mogilny quickly collected the loose puck in the corner and circled out front, but Osgood smothered his wrist shot too.
The Leafs were finally rewarded when Roberts burst over the blueline and found the low right corner with a backhand.
The hard-charging winger not only scored his second, but clipped Osgood with his skate as he cleared the crease.
Osgood lay on his back for several minutes as the Islanders trainer tended to his right leg, but stayed in the game.
Mogilny made it 2-1 Toronto with his third at 2:37 of the second, whisking a Reichel feed by Osgood during a delayed penalty.
Green upped it to 3-1 unassisted at 13:48, fooling Osgood with a screen shot high to the glove side for his first.
Miller cut the deficit to 4-3 with his fourth at 4:23 of the third, then nearly tied it eight minutes later.
With Tomas Kaberle serving a holding penalty, Yashin snuck in alone behind Berg and Lumme, but Joseph shouldered aside his rising wrist shot.
Joseph later foiled rookie Trent Hunter on yet another dangerous rush around a flat-footed Kaberle.
"We did everything we could in the last minute," Yashin said. "We put on a lot of pressure.
"We just didn't get any luck."
Indeed, the Leafs simply hung on for dear life until Mogilny capped it with a wrist shot high into the vacated net from the Islanders blueline with 40 seconds to go in the game -- and the series.
"It feels good to win," said Darcy Tucker, who earned an assist in the game.
"It makes all the sacrifices worthwhile."
