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Four surprises that have sparked the Maple Leafs’ return to the Stanley Cup playoffs
Toronto hockey fans have been basking in the realization that for the first time in eight seasons – nine years if you include the 2004-05 lockout – their beloved Maple Leafs are heading back to the playoffs.
As the Toronto Star’s Rosie DiManno captured so nicely after the Leafs’ playoff-clinching win over the Senators in Ottawa, it’s been awhile since Leafs Nation has had the chance to enjoy meaningful spring hockey. Many will point to the coaching of Randy Carlyle, the departure of Brian Burke and the long-awaited arrival of truculence to the team (well, Don Cherry will hang his high-collar shirt on that one) as major reasons for the Leafs being in a spot to once again challenge for the Stanley Cup.
We’ve taken a different approach here, citing four surprises that have allowed Leafs fans to talk about the playoffs rather than looking ahead to the NHL entry draft and free agency as possible life jackets for next season.
1. James Reimer: He’s been the backbone of the franchise this season, especially down the stretch where he’s made 30-plus saves in each of the last four games including a 49-save performance in that playoff-clinching victory over Ottawa. While Reimer will likely be the biggest question mark critics point to heading into the post-season – he’s yet to play a playoff game in his career – his 18-6-5 record along with a 2.41 goals against average and .926 save percentage prove that he’s been a reliable commodity for the Leafs in 2013. How far they go in the playoffs will most likely be based on how far he can take them.
2. Cody Franson: Take a look at the top 10 offensive defencemen in the NHL this season and you might be surprised to find Franson near the top of the list as his 27 points put him fifth among all defencemen in scoring. Both Jake Gardiner and John-Michael Liles have found themselves in the press box at various points. That opened the door for the offensive-minded Franson to partner with Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf on the team’s first power-play unit. Should the 25-year-old find some offensive success in the Leafs’ final three games of the season he could surpass his current career high in points, 29, that he set back in 2010-2011 when he was with the Nashville Predators.
3. Penalty kill: In seven seasons from 2005-2012 the Leafs didn’t finish higher than 24th in the league in penalty kill percentage. It’s hard to say exactly what’s clicked on the penalty kill this season – they sit third in the NHL at 87 percent – though forward Jay McClement has been given the lion’s share of the credit by the media and fan base. A stick tap to Burke for signing the free agent last summer. McClement leads the team in shorthanded ice time per game.
4. Nazem Kadri: Carlyle gave the former first-round pick – and one of former coach Ron Wilson’s favourite whipping boys - the opportunity to prove he was worthy of being a top-six forward on the team’s roster and he made the most of it by scoring 18 goals and adding 24 assists in 45 games. With Mikhail Grabovski struggling, not only has Kadri been able to fill the role of a second-line centre, but he’s added a whole new dimension to the Leafs offence playing alongside Joffrey Lupul. The 22-year-old has cooled off in the last few weeks, but with Lupul healthy again the Leafs can only hope that he and Kadri can rekindle the chemistry that had them combine for eight points in a 4-0 win over Ottawa on March 30.
