Has that elusive “team toughness” finally arrived in Toronto—and now do you believe the playoffs are in sight for the Maple Leafs?

We’re now 12 games into a 48-game regular season.   The Maple Leafs have a record of 7 wins and 5 losses after the rather impressive 6-0 whitewash of the hated Habs on Saturday night.  If we never had to play at the ACC, what might their record be?  (I’m kidding, obviously, but my guess is that as this team gets more comfortable in its own skin, as it were, their home record will be much better as this season moves along…) For what it’s worth, the Leafs are solidly in a playoff “position” in the Eastern Conference right now.  Will it last?  I think it can.  And yes, I’m well aware of what occurred only a year ago.

It's a different time, a different coach, and a different team.

Some of you will know that I’ve been saying here for weeks now (even during the lockout, when we were waiting and hopping for a hockey season) that the Leafs can make the playoffs this year.  I’m not making a prediction, just stating that in the East, where so many teams have uneven rosters and glaring weaknesses, there are an awful of of “bubble” teams.  The Leafs are one of them.  And the fact is, based on the first segment of the season (with 25% of the schedule completed), Toronto, while hardly home and clear, is in a position to do something they have not been able to do since 2004:  get into the NHL playoffs.

If you’ve been at or following the games, you know what’s going on.  Reimer has solidified the goaltending to this point.  (And it had to mean something to the young Leaf to go back to Montreal, the scene of last season's injury, and pitch a shutout...)  The overall defensive structure, while still mistake-prone at times, seems sturdier than it has been (at least consistently) for some time. Kostka has been a nice surprise.  Phaneuf, while hardly mistake-free, continues to be the guy Carlyle relies on. Heck, guys like Franson, Fraser and now Holzer (all of whom have been "healthy scratches" at various points this season) have contributed.  Jake Gardiner is not even in the picture right now, and the Leafs don’t seem to miss him most nights.  Would we have forecast this six months ago?  One month ago?

Up front, Kessel has scored the last two games, which has to help even more, eh? Komarov netted his first in Montreal but more importantly, seems to be getting accustomed to the NHL game and is, as advertised, an edgy, crusty guy to play against most of the time.  I've been a tad slow to warm to him, but he brings something, for sure.  Newcomer van Riemsdyk has been spending more and more time in front of the opposition netminder, with some significant results so far. McClement has emerged (it’s still early, I realize, for coronations of any kind) as a more than useful forward who can help any line, in virtually any role.  Bozak keeps winning face-offs and scores enough to keep us from complaining too much about needing a number-one center.  (That will have to be addressed before the Leafs get to that ‘next level’, and I think we all understand that, but for today, we’re competing without that bonafide top-line pivot.)

I won't go through the whole roster but the bottom line is we are getting contributions from a lot of different players.  We aren’t getting hammered and are usually in close games- Saturday night at the Bell Center notwithstanding.  (Honestly, did we look really good, or was Montreal just awfully flat after giving up a last-second goal and then losing in overtime in Buffalo on Thursday? That kind of loss can be awfully deflating for a fragile team, and I sense Montreal, despite their surprisingly strong start, is not yet a confident group.)  Our roster, on paper, is no worse than many teams in the East, and we’re playing better than quite a few of the clubs we need to stay ahead to make the playoffs.  And we're winning games on the road.  Am I missing something?

You know what’s interesting to me?  At various time over the past twelve months, especially since the Leafs hit that wall a year or so ago, I’m willing to bet that a lot of Leaf fans, myself included if I’m honest, would have entertained serious thoughts about trading any number of these guys (and we will again, I realize.  In fact I’ll be posting soon about a persistent rumbling out there along these lines…).  Many Leafers were prepared to include Reimer, for example, in a deal for a goaltender.  Others would have packaged Franson, Gunnarsson, Kulemin, Grabovski, Liles, Kadri, Frattin, even Gardiner.  (This is not to suggest that the Leafs themselves, in fact, have not entertained the idea of trading most of the players on that list.  I said for ages going back some time that I believe Kadri was on the table in any number of possible trades the past year or more.  I still don’t think we have many “untouchables” on this roster, and improvements will be needed, but for now…)

My point is not that Leaf fans are wishy-washy (though we have certainly been accused of that);  it is simply that, at this point in time (pending a three-game losing streak!) I’m sensing a majority of fans would not be quite as eager to dispatch most of these guys.  They’re a pretty like-able bunch, it seems, starting with Reimer, which doesn’t hurt, from a fan perspective.

Again, if we lose a few, the mood could change quickly, of course.  But fans want to see a competitive team and under Carlyle, we are that right now.  I’m still not sure we are quite as tough as Don Cherry and his fellow Hockey Night in Canada commentators seem to think, but we do seem to play with a burr under our back side more than we have since, well, the Quinn years.  Is it possible that we now have something I‘ve claimed we have been lacking for many years?  In short, I’m talking about  team toughness.   Is it because of what Nonis’ predecessor brought together?  Is it Carlyle's aura?  Is it because of the presence of Orr and McLaren, as Cherry suggests?  Is it Komarov?  Or is it that we have fewer guys like Connolly and Lombardi, good players but more pure skill players, and now have more players with some grit, some push back?  Kadri started playing more assertively with the Marlies last season, I thought, and that seems to be carrying over into his play right now. Is everyone, as Don says, playing “bigger’ because they know someone has their back?

I think regular VLM readers know my view on "toughness".  I'm not a big fighting proponent, but my preference is having guys who can play and, if necessary, are capable of dropping the gloves:  Bob Gainey, Bob Nystrom, Terry O'Reilly, John Tonnelli, Brendan Shanahan, all these guys were tough as nails in every corner of the ice and yes, they could fight, too.  To me, that's real toughness.  And if you have a few of those guys, like the Bruins have had in recent years, it can make a difference in the team's mentality.

All this said, do the playoffs matter to you this season?  I ask, because it’s getting more and more likely that we will be in a good old-fashioned playoff race.  As I’ve said, it should help the young guys to get that experience, playing when it matters in the springtime, when everyone is fighting for every inch of ice.

I’ve been saying the Leafs can make it.  Are they now tough enough?  Will they make it?  Are you on board?