Maple Leafs Make Playoffs

BY HIERONYMOUS MACMILLAN

I was in the midst of writing book 5 in a George R.R. Martin/Game of Thrones style epic about what wrong with the Toronto Maple Leafs season en route to missing the playoffs yet again. 
But then a funny thing happened. I looked at the bottom of the standings and I didn't see Toronto listed. Like a sleepy child waking up on Christmas day and in disbelief at the presents under the tree, I rubbed my eyes and looked again. And lo and behold, there was Toronto's name with an X beside their name. 
So, now I'm left with no choice but to try and explain what went right for the Maple Leafs this season. 

Coaching Change:  The Leafs relieved John MacLean of his head coaching duties on December 24th, one day after a 4-1 loss to the Flyers. Nobody wants to fire someone right before Christmas but Led Tasso didn't feel like he had any other choice at that point and needed to try and do something to get their season back on track. 
And the person he chose to step behind the bench? Himself. With all of 0 games of professional (or any other level of organised hockey) coaching experience. The team responded with.....losses in their next two games to close out 2022. 
With a 2-5-3 October, 6-7-1 November, and 2-7-3 December the Leafs had not put themselves in a position that inspired confidence. 

New year, new coach, new start. January saw Toronto go 11-2-2, inluding an 8-game winning streak that stretched into February. The results from the full month were pedestrian (4-3-2) but a 15-6-1 finish to the season which saw them nearly go undefeated in April (7-1) was enough for the scrappy Leafs to lock down the 1st wild card spot in the East. 
10-19-7 without Tasso. 30-11-5 with Tasso. 

On-Ice Personnel: What seemed unlikely given how much we knew GM Led Tasso (GMLT) loved Logan Stankoven was that he would be traded just over a month into the season for Mats Zuccarello. This was necessitated by Toronto's struggles to put the puck in the net. 
Inconsistent goaltending also meant Mackenzie Blackwood being shipped out for incumbent starter Anton Forsberg to form a tandem with Kaapo Kahkonen.
GMLT made three trades after January 1st that paid huge dividends for the team. Marcus Pettersson was brought in to help shore up the blueline. Reviled free agent acquisition Pius Suter was bundled with another last year's 1st round pick Jagger Firkus to acquire Brock Nelson. And while Zuccarello was everything as advertised during his 50 game stint, averaging nearly a point per game (22-27-49) he was dealt to Winnipeg for a package that included veteran leader Boone Jenner. 

While none of the three set the world on fire stats-wise, each player filled their expected roles admirably and helped forge a new identity for this team. 

Chemistry: It's easy to overlook the fact this roster hasn't had a lot of time to gel. Prior to the beginning of last season, GMLT promised to tear down his roster and start over. And while most thought that meant the beginning of a bonafide rebuild, he pivoted and assembled his avengers. It was "expansion team-esque" in that every player was playing with each other for the first time. Lines were shuffled constantly trying to find some semblance of cohesion. We all know how well that went. 
With having that first year of playing together and getting to know one another has obviously helped. As for the line-up, Toronto never had a true number one line throughout the season but instead relied on rolling out a 1a-1b-1c trio. Egos have been checked at the door and the result is a group of guys playing for one another, battling in the trenches together and willing to do what it takes to find success. 

Securing a wild card spot and making the playoffs is great news for sure. But these Mediocre Losers aren't world beaters by any stretch of the imagination. Don't plan the parade  yet. They're lucky to be where they are and should value the experience they gain while they're in this position. Of course, this is the RHL playoffs. Expect anything and everything to happen. See you in the first round!