For a young team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, every game is part of an overarching learning curve. As the past week has shown, each lesson ought to be welcomed with open arms.
If we’re to trust the Shanaplan, the Leafs’ future should end up being about as bright as a star — a prospect that #LeafsNation is not going to let the hockey world forget anytime soon. Nevertheless, part of ushering forward winning ways is accepting lessons that are not only unfavourable, but at times downright unpleasant.
In a May 2015 press conference, Mike Babcock famously described the process of creating a culture of winning as one that entails “pain, fun and a journey.” During the same session, he offered the following words to the Toronto media: “If you think there’s no pain coming, there’s pain coming.” As the week draws to a conclusion, his words continue to ring truer than ever.
Take this past Tuesday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning as an example. In a potential precursor to the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Leafs demonstrated a level of control that, for almost 37 minutes, undoubtedly rendered its fans ecstatic. A commanding 3-0 lead was surely too intimidating of a feat for the Bolts to overcome … wasn’t it?
Yet from the 3:20 mark of the second period to the night’s close, the Leafs of new eerily looked like a carbon copy of the Leafs of old. They went on to lose the game by a score of 4-3 in what would become one of the most disappointing outcomes of the 2017-18 season. It was a hard lesson for a match that had looked to be so promising.
What differentiates good teams from great teams, however, is not the way in which they win games, but the way that they respond to tough losses. Moving on has to come hand-in-hand with a degree of accountability. The same mistakes must not be repeated.
And so arrived another Thursday night matchup. Fresh from a humiliating defeat against the top team in the East, the Leafs would be tasked with facing the Nashville Predators — the strongest organization in not just the West, but also the NHL. Surely it was too soon to go head-to-head against a team that had been riding a 14-0-1 run … wasn’t it?
What followed was a stunning display of perseverance — the likes of which are only beginning to become a reality in Toronto.
It was a win to remember for reasons that expand well beyond the final score of 5-2. Auston Matthews and Nikita Zaitsev played solid games after returning from periods of absence that had lasted ten and five matches respectively. The former scored a goal that was nothing short of stunning, while James van Riemsdyk, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Jake Gardiner also found the back of the net. Above all, it wasn’t just another two points — it was a statement.
On Saturday night, the Leafs concluded their week by hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Despite kissing playoff dreams goodbye quite some time ago, the Red Wings made a statement of their own, as they pounded netminder Frederik Andersen with 41 shots. That said, the Leafs managed to secure another victory, as a game-winning goal from Nazem Kadri earned the Buds a 4-3 win.
With the playoffs looming on the not-so-distant horizon, the real work is only just beginning. There’s little doubt that the Leafs will be looking to make a deep playoff run, but the promise of meeting either the Lightning or Bruins in the first round is an intimidating task for a team that is only now getting its starting core back together. Uncertainty regarding the future of James van Riemsdyk adds additional urgency, as the team will look to make the most of an opportunity to win with its current set of players.
The past week has been one of multidimensional lessons for the Leafs. To the surprise of many, hard losses have been met with convincing wins. But the biggest lesson of all? The Leafs are not only listening to the words of their coach — they’re learning from them. Pain has come and will continue to undertake many faces.
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That the Leafs are translating irritation into motivation is a lesson in instilling an environment of winning.