Toronto Maple Leafs: Like Clockwork, Another Leafs Late-Season Run

Well folks, its that time of year again, the Toronto Maple Leafs annual post-All-Star break late season run. Every season since the lockout has followed a similar pattern for the Buds, and Leaf fans can almost sit back and expect the inevitable to occur. It’s like clockwork really. It can be safely said that in all the seasons since the lockout (where the team has failed to make the playoffs each year) the first two-thirds of the season we can expect mediocre and inconsistent play from our Leafs.

However, each season after the all-star break, at the flick of a switch, the Leafs turn on the jets and play like a team possessed. Expect excellent goaltending, timely goals, and solid defensive play. Don’t believe me? Since the 2004-05 lockout, Toronto has an 86-52-23 record after the Olympic or all-star breaks (for a .605 winning percentage), but each year we have missed the post season.

Nevertheless, this year’s annual blitz up the standings seems different then years past. The team is managing to defeat top Eastern Conference contenders (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) with the 3rd youngest team in the NHL. The Leafs have somehow managed to be sellers prior to the trade deadline and still see a rise in goal-output and wins.

Shipping out two veteran defenseman in Francois Beauchemin and Tomas Kaberle has not hindered the Leafs defense whatsoever, as young defenseman Carl Gunnarson and recent call-up Keith Aulie have stepped in effortlessly to take on larger roles with the club. The youth movement initiated by Brian Burke and Co. is starting to bear fruit, and optimism in Leaf-Land has run rampant the past few weeks.

How can we explain this year's playoff push, and differentiate it from years past? The facts are almost staggering, and for Leafs fans it is hard to believe, the teams 10-3-4 record since the all-star break has root in the emergence of goaltending sensation James Reimer. After doing his time with the AHL team for 3 seasons (including half of this year) ‘Optimus-Reim,’ as he has been dubbed by media and fans alike, seems to be the clubs first legitimate home-grown goaltender since, dare I say it, Felix Potvin.

The Leafs have lacked a calming presence in the crease like Reimer since the days of Ed Belfour, and Reimer’s inclusion on the roster has allowed the team in front of him to play with more confidence. Reimer plays a sound positional style, and under the tutelage of goaltender guru Francois Allaire, has made an excellent transition from the AHL to the NHL. Former starter Jean-Sebastien Giguere has said that Reimer’s style reminds him of a younger version of himself, and since ‘Giggy’ has a Conn-Smythe trophy and Stanley Cup ring, I will take that comparison and run with it.

While the emergence of Reimer is without question the biggest reason for the Leafs playoff push this season, consistency from sniper Phil Kessel is benefiting the team as well. Whether it was being picked last at the all-star draft, or feeling confident about driving around in his new car he won, Kessel as re-emerged as the go-to-guy on the Leafs offense.

Typically a streaky scorer, Kessel has picked the right time to heat-up. Coach Ron Wilson quipped that if “The puck goes in the net, Phil feels good about himself... the whole game gets easier for him.” With Kessel scoring goals by the boat-load, it gives the Leafs a better chance to win games.

Captain Dion Phaneuf has picked up his offensive game that he has been missing since the trade from Calgary, and his defensive game is as solid as ever. With the departure of Beauchemin and Kaberle, this is now Phaneuf’s team, and this playoff push is a perfect time for Phaneuf to win over a fan base that is feeling mixed results with his captaincy thus far.

Having the pressure off their shoulders has done wonders for this young Leafs squad. The team is playing like they have nothing to lose, and, with more consistent play down the stretch, and a little help from the teams ahead of them in the standings, the once far-fetched idea of the Leafs squeaking into the play-offs is starting to gain legitimacy. Now, if only the team can play like this from game one, instead of game 60, wouldn’t that be special?