When Leafs defensemen Thomas Hickey and Victor Hedman scored goals early in the third period in the final game of the regular season to give them a 2-1 lead over the New Jersey Devils, Leafs GM devo22 had a feeling that it was going to happen. He didn't know the score in the Columbus game, but given that the Leafs simply had to avoid a regulation loss, it didn't even matter in the end.
The Leafs (41-30-11) managed to hang on and clinch a playoff berth on the last day of the season, ending a year-long drought that had frustrated the GM for years.
"We finished 9th twice in the last three years", he said. "It was time to finally get in."
In the end, the final playoff push came to a surprise though, after the Leafs shipped out veteran forwards like Blake Wheeler, Jiri Hudler and Radim Vrbata before the trade deadline in return for future assets, indicating that the GM is already thinking about next season. The Leafs players didn't seem to get the memo though, as they finished the season with a 6-2-1 run in the last nine games.
"We just go out and work hard every night", captain and leading scorer Patrice Bergeron said. "We have always believed in ourselves, and the fans have too. It's going to be a fun experience."
The players will be a rewarded with a playoff matchup against the Boston Bruins, the top team of the regular season.
"We can't wait", defenseman Roman Josi said. "People will say we're the underdogs, but that's been the case all season. We know what we're capable of doing and we have no doubt that we can carry our momentum into the playoffs."
The Leafs lost the season series against the Bruins 2-2-1, but won the final two meetings including a thrilling 5-4 win two weeks ago.
The playoffs return to the centre of the universe
