Leafs' O'Reilly: Lightning will 'throw everything they have at us' in Game 5

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a chance to exorcise their playoff demons on Thursday, but grizzled veteran Ryan O'Reilly knows it'll be no walk in the park.

"They're going to throw everything they have at us," O'Reilly said of the opposing Tampa Bay Lightning, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "By no means is this series over."

The Leafs lead the series 3-1 after a pair of dramatic overtime victories in Games 3 and 4. O'Reilly has played a critical role throughout, tallying two goals and five assists in four contests. The 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner will be heavily relied upon again on Thursday when the Leafs have a chance to win their first playoff series since 2004.

But a 3-1 series lead is no guarantee for a Round 1 victory. After all, the Leafs blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round two years ago against a heavy underdog Montreal Canadiens club. And while the Leafs were the betting favorite against Tampa Bay, this is largely the same Lightning team that's been to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last three years.

"We've got a lot of experience to lean back on (staving off elimination)," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said, per Postmedia's Lance Hornby. "But it's a different year. The Leafs will have a say in this."

After recording a hat trick in Game 2's blowout win, captain John Tavares has been shut down, failing to record a point in the last two contests. But he's taking a business-as-usual approach to Game 5.

"Just try as best as you can to approach it like every other game," Tavares told Yahoo Sports' Arun Srinivasan. "Obviously, you're aware of the circumstances and where we're at. You just try to be in the moment of getting up, having a good morning."

He added: "We know the job's not done."