The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the playoffs. You may have heard.

With the Leafs set to start their series against the Washington Capitals tonight, now is the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane.

With that, here are my Top 5 favourite Leafs playoff teams in my lifetime.

5. 1993

Here’s something you should know about me nice and early for this list: I was born in 1988. Knowing that, if there are some great series from the 1970s you were hoping to read about, I have bad news for you.

I’ll acknowledge that 1993 is the best Leafs playoff run of my lifetime and arguably the closest the Leafs have been to a Stanley Cup since 1967 – within five wins, to be exact.

Here’s the problem: I was five.

While I don’t vividly remember the Leafs playing the Detroit Red Wings in Round 1, I have seen this goal 1,000 times.

While I don’t vividly remember the Leafs playing the St. Louis Blues in Round 2, I have seen this goal 1,000 times.

For some reason, I have vague memories of the Leafs taking on the Kings in Round 3.

I remember being so conflicted as a kid. I thought the Leafs were the best hockey team in the world. I also knew Wayne Gretzky was the best hockey player in the world. Something’s gotta give, right?

Well that thing was almost Marty McSorely’s face.

Ultimately, the Leafs lost in Game 7. No, I’m not going to post a video of the high stick. Today is supposed to be a happy day.

4. 1994

Now this year I remember.

I remember hating Ed Belfour and the Blackhawks as a kid because of this series and the rematch the following year. Of course, I could forgive Blackhawks fans my age for growing up hating Wendel Clark and Todd Gill.

I vividly remember Round 2 against the San Jose Sharks and chants of “IRRRRRBEEEEEE IRRRRRBEEEE!”

A fortuitous bounce in Game 4.

And this classic intro, which might be the most 1990s thing to ever happen.

Once again, the Leafs reached Round 3 only to find out their princess was in another castle as they lost to another west coast team in black jerseys – the Vancouver Canucks.

3. 2001

In 2001, the seventh-seeded Leafs needed a miracle to defeat the second-seeded Ottawa Senators.

Apparently, miracle is spelled C-U-J-O.

It’s 0-0 in overtime of Game 1 until PING.

With the Leafs up 2-0 in the series and with Game 3 tied in overtime – Cory Cross.

And the Leafs not only beat the Senators in Round 1 but they swept them.

Round 2 was not as kind.

The Leafs tied their second-round series with the Devils 2-2 the night Domi elbowed Niedermayer but that incident is what the game is remembered for. The Leafs went up 3-2 in the series after Game 5, lost 4-2 in Game 6, and despite having an early 1-0 lead in Game 7, the Leafs ended up being demolished 5-1.

So basically, the only fond memory I have of this run was sweeping the Senators, but I loved it for the sheer improbability of it.

2. 1999

The hope of 1993 and 1994 was way in the rear-view mirror by this time. The Leafs lost in Round 1 in both 1995 and 1996 before missing the playoffs entirely in 1997 and 1998. By this point, I was more into Stone Cold Steve Austin than the Leafs.

Then in one fell swoop, the Leafs added Curtis Joseph, Steve Thomas, Alexander Karpovtsev, Yannick Perrault, Garry Valk, and Bryan Berard. Not to mention the legend of Lonny Bohonos.

In Game 5 of the Leafs’ first-round series against Philadelphia, Valk set up Perrault for the OT-winner.

And I vividly remember Valk and Perrault trading spots against the Penguins. Perrault wins the face-off and Valk seals the fate of his former team. Plus, who doesn’t remember Danny Markov giving the patented Jagr salute?

Unfortunately in Round 3 against the Buffalo Sabres, it was not meant to be. The Sabres won 5-4 in Game 1. The Leafs won 6-3 in Game 2. Then after that six-goal offensive outburst against Dwayne Roloson, the Leafs scored just six goals on a returning Dominik Hasek in the next three games combined, losing in five.

“I’ll never hate Dominik Hasek more than I do at this very moment,” I thought to myself.

Then he joined the Sens.

1. 2002

Maybe this doesn’t resonate as much with the older crowd, but for folks my age and younger, the 2002 playoff run was the closest to magic we’ve seen in Leafs Land. Ten Leafs – Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen, Frederik Gauthier, Connor Carrick, Antoine Bibeau, Connor Brown, Nikita Soshnikov, and Morgan Rielly – were not even alive when the Leafs faced the Kings in 1993. Josh Leivo was born May 26, 1993, the day between Game 5 and Game 6 of that series. Curtis McElhinney, who at 33-years-old is the oldest current Leaf, celebrated his 10th birthday during Game 4 of that series.

I guess what I’m trying to say is 1993 isn’t exactly recent.

The Leafs go up 2-0 after Game 2, the Islanders tied the series after Game 4, Leafs win, Islanders win, and we get a Game 7.

One thing that’s apparent when you watch this footage: This is the NHL’s 100th year and borderline criminal offences were pretty much allowed across the board for the first 85.

In Round 2, I will never forget CuJo’s Game 7 shutout against the Sens. Just 19 saves, too. Talk about a different time.

The miracle of the 2002 Leafs was how they survived all of their injuries. It’s why Gary Roberts is still a beloved figure in this town, after carrying the Leafs on his back with two busted shoulders and without an injured Mats Sundin. Alyn McCauley, who had just 16 points in 82 regular season games that season, put up 15 in 20 playoff games. It was magic.

I remember learning that the Leafs’ third-round opponent would be Carolina, and that Sundin would be returning, and thinking “This is it. This is the year the Leafs finally get to the Stanley Cup Final!”

Then in Game 6, while staring elimination in the eyes…

And Joe Bowen’s call for good measure…

And my little 14-year-old dreams were crushed in overtime.

Now it’s a new era.

The young Leafs are taking on the heavily-favoured President’s Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in the first round. With that said, our fondest sports memories aren’t solely based around success. It’s about overcoming the odds, the difference one person can make in one moment, and making the improbable happen.

New memories start tonight.