Toronto Maple Leafs Show Two Different Forms

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened the regular season against the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. In an outcome that shocked the league, the Leafs downed the champs in a close game, 3-2. Nikolai Kulemin scored the game winner on a turnover that resulted in a breakaway. Overall, the Maple Leafs looked like something none of the analysts have predicted they will be-a competitive team. Vesa Toskala provided outstanding goaltending, while the Leafs blue line implemented Ron Wilson's defensive scheme almost perfectly. Luke Schenn played alongside Thomas Kaberle, and logged top minutes against Detroit's best players. He looked poised beyond his years. In locking down some of the best players on the best team in the league, Schenn clearly showed he is far too good a player to be sent back to the juniors. To me, it would be a disaster to his development if the Maple Leafs sent him down to a league that is far below his talent level. On the whole, It certainly seemed like the Toronto Maple Leafs showed a glimpse of some serious potential, especially with their new core of young players.

Though many hockey "experts" have predicted the Maple Leafs to be a bottom-feeder team and finish in the basement of the standings, Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood certainly didn't think so. After falling to the Leafs, Osgood was quoted as saying "they have a better team than last year. Some people think just because you switched older players out in Toronto your team is going to be worse. It's not the case, they have some good young players on their team." In my opinion, Osgood was bang on. The Leafs have made themselves younger, faster, and more defensively sound over the offseason. I don't see how they can be a worse team than last year, as some people seem to think. If they can continue to play a defensively sound game, and the younger players can build on their confidence, there is no reason to think the Toronto Maple Leafs can't surprise a few "experts" this year.

However, even with a young and exciting team that seems to have some real potential, the Toronto Maple Leafs are bound to experience some growing pains. That was evident tonight in their second game of the season against the arch-rival Montreal Canadiens. In losing 6-1 to their old foe, the Maple Leafs looked like the complete opposite of the team that showed up in Detroit. The defense looked confused, the Leafs forechecking was non-existent, and Toskala was shaky in goal-though a lack of help is partly responsible for that. They took far too many penalties, and simply appeared much more undisciplined than they did in their first game. It was one of those games that Leafs fans will hope to forget forever. By all means, THIS was the Toronto Maple Leafs team that most analysts have predicted we will see all season long.

Perhaps they are right. Perhaps the Maple Leafs will look like the horrible team that they were tonight for the rest of the year. However, they have shown that they can also play great, and have the talent to be competitive in this league. Maybe, just maybe, they will show this form instead, and turn quite a few heads come April. It all starts one game at a time though, and the Maple Leafs are going to have to pass a new test now-showing that they can rebound in the face of an embarassing loss. They will get the chance to pass that test on Monday against St. Louis. Let's see if the young players on this Leafs team have the focus to forget about tonight's game, and come out again on Monday showing the confidence they showed against the champs. It would certainly seem to me though, that the Toronto Maple Leafs aren't going to be a middle of the pack team this year. This new, young team will either fall flat on their faces from the growing pains of rebuilding, like they did against Montreal, or confidently show their maximum potential, like they did against Detroit, and take the NHL by surprise.