TORONTO — Were you to have taken a peek behind the curtain when the sky was falling you would never believe a day like this was possible.
Had you heard the disappointment in Phil Kessel’s voice during a solemn walk to the bus in Tampa last April, or seen the strain in James Reimer’s face after a 12th loss in 14 games to finish the season, you would never think “hope” and “Toronto Maple Leafs” might appropriately be used in the same sentence again.
Yet, here we are.
This might be the most scrutinized team in hockey — one widely pegged as a playoff bubble team at best — but the positive energy among those that get to play the games is unmistakable. For the moment, anyway.
On Tuesday afternoon, a little more than 24 hours before the season-opener against Montreal, you had Dion Phaneuf bounding out of the practice facility to collect some family at the airport and Morgan Rielly literally hurdling over bags of equipment on his way to the showers.
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There was Brandon Kozun musing about the cost of tickets before his first NHL game and Stephane Robidas talking like a rookie before his 886th. When the subject briefly turned to last season, Nazem Kadri casually referred to a “little bit of a collapse” and it didn’t even sound that strange.
It is an affirmation of the prevailing feeling around the NHL right now. Renewal. At the core of everything hockey season is a feeling of restoration.
The standings have been reset and the Leafs believe things will be different this time around. No matter how much snickering that might invite, they really do.
“We’re a year older,” explained veteran winger Joffrey Lupul. “For some guys that’s maybe not such a good thing, but for a lot of guys that we’re going to lean on like Jake (Gardiner) and Morgan (Rielly), Nazem (Kadri), these guys are getting more experienced and they’re going to be key players for us.
“The only way to get to that next level to have some experiences.”
Experiences, they’ve had a few.
The memory of the Game 7 loss in Boston is still pretty fresh for some of these men and the end of last season is even more top of mind. The Leafs walked a tightrope as one of the worst defensive teams in the entire NHL a year ago and it bit them when it mattered most.
“It just has a bit of a different feel this year, that we’re out here trying to prove something,” said Kadri.
Naturally, the focus in training camp has been on the changes. New front office, new assistant coaches, revamped blue-line and a little more skill in place of brawn on the third and fourth lines.
Yet what will arguably have the biggest impact here is the growth from within. Kadri, Gardiner and Rielly are all being asked to do more, to say nothing of the infusion of Marlies filling out other spots in the lineup.
Even the veteran players know there is more to give.
“I have very high expectations of myself,” said Lupul. “I can play better than I did last year and I’ll have to play better than I did last year for us to have the success that I feel we’re capable of. There’s a lot of guys in the room that I think are saying the same thing.”
This does not have the makings of a powerhouse team, the players know that, but they look around the Eastern Conference and see an opportunity to surprise. The Leafs want to play the game at a higher pace and find a way to control the puck more.
What they lack in quality they hope to make for with a higher quantity of useful players.
“Our team’s going to be more balanced now — everyone’s going to take a little drop in minutes — and I think that’s going to benefit us down the stretch, which is obviously where we’ve faltered the last couple years,” said Lupul.
It was another long summer in Toronto and there were points in training camp where the days seemed to drag. Yet, now faced with the start of the schedule and games that matter, everything is happening quickly.
The coaching staff will be under intense scrutiny if things go wrong and head coach Randy Carlyle has tried to steer clear of any predictions.
Any optimism he’s feeling has been tempered by the constant demands of the job.
“You’re always nervous and you’re always looking ‘Did we do enough of this? Did we do enough of that? Will we play to the level we’re capable of? Will we skate?”‘ said Carlyle. “You’re always looking and you’re always (wondering) did you do enough. Could we have done more?”
For the players on the verge of another precious season — with careers so short there aren’t enough days like this one — the mindset is different.
Before the opener I asked Kadri where the expectations should be for this team and he didn’t hesitate before responding.
“Playoff team,” he said. “To contend in the playoffs and eventually win.”
The great journey begins anew.