Toronto Maple Leafs: Why the Current Marlies Run Is Beneficial for Next Season

After defeating the Oklahoma City Barons yesterday afternoon in front of a raucous crowd at Ricoh Coliseum, the Toronto Marlies (minor-league affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs) took a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference finals series.

With so much discussion around just how many Marlies will be joining the ranks of the parent club Maple Leafs in October, I decided to take a look at what kind of impact this playoff run has had on the play of the Baby Leafs.

After all, it would be foolish to believe that this kind of run hasn't shown these players certain facets of the game that regular-season hockey simply cannot.

Let's take a look at some of the positive aspects this postseason run will have on the players and, in turn, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mistakes Become Magnified

This is one of the most important parts of playoff hockey.

During the regular season, when a player makes a mistake, it may or may not cost his team a goal. Even if it were to do just that, the coaching staff would let said player know what he did wrong and tell him there is plenty of hockey left and to do a better job on his next shift or in his next game.

When it comes to postseason hockey at any level, these mistakes are so much more important.

The fact that you're playing against better competition means it is more likely that those mistakes will end up in the back of your own net.

Not to mention, losses aren't something you move on from as easily, since you only have a certain amount you can accumulate before your season abruptly ends.

In fact, Nazem Kadri recently told Michael Traikos of the National Post the same thing: The postseason really emphasizes a player's mistakes, and it helps each player learn from them.

Thus, players learn just how crucial each and every mistake is and adjust their game accordingly.

Doing this on a regular basis makes it more likely that this ends up becoming your routine play and elevates your game as a whole.

The Competition

Another incredible benefit to the postseason (and it only becomes more valuable the further a team goes) is that night in and night out, players are squaring off against the best competition the league has to offer.

There are no easy games. No nights where everyone expects two points.

Every game is a grind and players must be ready both physically and mentally to bring their "A-game" if they expect to go far.

Playing against the stiffest opposition around also allows the players to find their own weaknesses and address them in time for the next game.

The further a team goes, the more each player learns how to shore up their own weaknesses and exploit those of the other team.

There is nothing quite like playoff hockey—at any level—that can help a young player develop into a more mature and talented hockey player.

The Importance of Team Defense

Everyone knows the cliche saying, "Defense wins championships."

Well, there's a reason it's so cliche.

Playoff hockey is won from the crease out.

While goaltenders and defensemen may be focused on keeping pucks out of the net every night, forwards are generally more preoccupied with scoring goals and amassing as many points as humanly possible.

Once they reach the postseason, however, coaches place an incredible amount of emphasis on back-checking and offensive players being defensively responsible.

Neutral zone play is also much more important once you're facing other teams that are just as good, if not better than yours.

These aspects of the game are extremely beneficial to players like Nazem Kadri and Joe Colborne, who are used to using their offensive prowess in order to impress coaches and fans.

Becoming a more complete two-way hockey player is an important step to becoming an NHL hockey player, and playoff hockey demands players do just that if their team is to continue on.

The Feeling That Only Winning Can Bring

What's the use of really giving everything you have to cut down on your mistakes, become a more sound two-way player and work your butt off to beat the best of the best on a nightly basis if you don't care about winning?

Even though the Marlies' players know that as each round progresses, they are going to be more tired, the competition is only going to be harder to beat and they're going to have to do more traveling, they still give it everything they have.

This is because winning is like a drug.

These guys will do whatever it takes for one more win.

Ultimately, it's that desire that prompts each and every player to dig deep and correct whatever weaknesses they may have before their next game.

Conclusion

Whether or not you believe that Nazem Kadri, Ben Scrivens or Matt Frattin are ready for the jump to the NHL, you must admit that they're better off for playing these three playoff series.

Once they do arrive, though, they will be much more valuable to Toronto and contribute in more ways than they would if the Marlies did not make the playoffs or made an early exit.

One must look no further than Ottawa, where more than a few of last year's Calder Cup winners made the jump to the NHL level and propelled the rival Senators to the playoffs (and a hard-fought seven-game series against the top-seeded Rangers), when most hockey experts expected them to finish in the basement of the Eastern Conference.

Who's to say the same benefits can't be reaped by Toronto in 2012-2013?

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