Can the Leafs Last the Entire Season?

There is no doubt the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the best stories in the season thus far. Media personnel throughout the league estimated the Leafs to finish in the dungeon of the Eastern Conference but it has been quite the contrary.

The Leafs have displayed a reckless abandoned in their first 15 games, giving teams headaches with their speed and refusal to go away in games. Their offense is simple, work the boards and get players cutting to the net or send it back to the point for shots. The formula has been working to perfection, especially in the past 5 games where they have scored 20 goals.

As for their defense, they have been a pleasant surprise. Players are using their speed and bodies to back check and are collapsing around the net, blocking shots. And not to mention having a gem of a nineteen year old who is poised to take this league by storm. Defenseman are also communicating with one another and contributing on the offensive end.

The biggest difference to this year’s team is the speed they have shown. Last years team showed why a slow team cannot last in the new NHL as they clutched and grabbed their way to penalties all year. But this year’s team has displayed an ability to win races and create penalties with their speed. Also, their fitness is phenomenal. They have made comebacks throughout the season, my diagnosis for this is because their simply fitter. When the third period comes around and the other team’s legs feel like jelly, the Leafs go on the prowl and do things like score five goals in five minutes.

But can these feisty kids and vets keep this pace up for the entire season. When those four game road trips come around and injuries start happening and you loose a couple games in a row, will these Leafs be able to keep up this rapid pace throughout the season. Also, if this team is built around speed and fore-checking, will their legs start to feel like jelly and will there organization on defense turn into a messy display of cluttered blue jerseys. This team has many rookies and second year players so the grind of an 82 game season could catch up to them mid way through.

From the looks of it, the Leafs will be battling for a playoff spot again leaving them with an adequate draft position and possibly another early golf season.

Amit Mann