Almost six months ago, still long before our world changed, the Toronto Maple Leafs had just sewn up two of their most impressive wins of the season. Quality performances on the road in Nashville and Dallas prevented the club from falling further out of the postseason picture after losing ground, idly, throughout the week previous while away on a mandated bye interval that happened to flow into All-Star weekend.
Eight full days between games was sufficient time for the players to rest and recharge. But for the coaching staff and hockey operations, the break provided no such luxury.