You knew it wasn’t going to be easy, right? Easy is for other teams and fan bases.
If you were writing a script for how this game would play out for the ‘same-old Leafs,’ a goal from former Leaf Phil Kessel, a Bryan McCabe/Dave Ellett-esque own-goal courtesy of the club’s lightning-rod defenceman, and a devastating injury to their Most Valuable Player in goaltender Frederik Andersen — all but ensuring the completion of another 18-wheeler collapse tomorrow against Columbus – would’ve covered all the bases.
If you were writing a script about turning the page on a new chapter in Leafs history, it’d involve overcoming those obstacles and winning anyway thanks to three third-period goals, all scored by Leafs rookies.