The winner will advance to the second round to face either the Washington Capitals or Florida Panthers, who will play Game 6 of their first-round series on Friday in Washington (7:30 p.m. ET; TBS, SN360, TVAS2, NBCSWA, BSFL). The Panthers have a 3-2 lead in that best-of-7 series.
Tampa Bay defeated Toronto 4-3 in overtime in Game 6 on Thursday to tie the best-of-7 series 3-3.
Defenseman Jake Muzzin and forward Jason Spezza have the most Game 7 experience on the Maple Leafs, each playing in five deciding games. Muzzin is 4-1 in Game 7s, and Spezza is 0-5. Muzzin's four wins came with the Los Angeles Kings and his one loss came with Toronto, 3-1 to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round last season.
RELATED: [Complete Maple Leafs vs. Lightning series coverage]
The Maple Leafs are 12-13 all time in Game 7 and have lost their past four. The loss last season was coach Sheldon Keefe's only Game 7, as well as goalie Jack Campbell .
Toronto has not won a Game 7 since the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Ottawa Senators, which is the last time the Maple Leafs have advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"We have a great opportunity on home ice, Game 7, do or die, win or go home, and we should be excited about that opportunity," Toronto center Auston Matthews said. "We've got to be ready to go and go out there and take it."
For the Lightning, defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forward Corey Perry each has played in nine Game 7s; McDonagh is 7-2 in series-deciding games and Perry is 4-5, including playing for Montreal in the win against Toronto last season.
Of the players who have spent their entire NHL careers with Tampa Bay, defenseman Victor Hedman and forward Steven Stamkos each has played in seven Game 7s (4-3).
The Lightning are 6-3 all time in Game 7; their most recent was a 1-0 win against the New York Islanders in the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is 1-2 in three Game 7s, including the 18-save shutout last season.
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper is 3-2 in five Game 7s.
"It's been back and forth the whole series and now we've got to win coming off of a win," Hedman said. "It was the best out of seven, then the best out of five, best out of three and now it's the best out of one."
