TORONTO — Before Jake Muzzin crashed awkwardly into Oliver Bjorkstrand after a short push from behind from Pierre-Luc Dubois less than two minutes before the horn, there was an argument for Game 2 versus the Columbus Blue Jackets following the exact ideal script for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Needing a victory to even the qualification series and avoid facing elimination six days into the NHL’s restart, the Leafs did more than meet the bare minimum. Instead, they overcame obstacles similar to those that presented themselves in their Game 1 loss, proving to themselves that patience, resilience and, maybe most importantly, staunch commitment to the system would eventually pay dividends in a matchup against a team that wants to stifle their preferred playing style.