Toronto Maple Leafs News

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a franchise on the rise and they're taking nothing for granted. They need strong performances at the drafting table and are preparing hard for the NHLs June 30 junior draft in New Jersey. Preparing very hard.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer was oh so close to becoming a legend in the world's most hockey mad town. After 8 seasons without playoffs, and decades in the hockey doldrums, Reimer was under 90 seconds from a series win over the Boston Bruins.

With Don 'Toronto' Cherry offering last week that Leaf fans can watch hockey without getting nasty when their team loses, taking a shot at Vancouver for its Stanley Cup riots in the process, a guantlet was laid down. So is Toronto a better hockey town?

Toronto - Kyle Hay is a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan. The 23-year-old is such a big fan that as part of his birthday celebrations he and friends went to Boston for game 2 of the Leafs-Bruins series. Toronto won, 4-2, their first playoff win since April 30, 2004.

Boston - The Toronto Maple Leafs fell behind 1-0 in the second against the Bruins in Boston Saturday but clearly felt 9 years without a playoff win was enough. By the 53 second mark of the third Phil Kessel had given them a 3-1 lead and they went on to a 4-2 win.

Fans in Montreal and Toronto, and in Canada, waiting for a first-round NHL playoff match-up between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs will have to wait a little longer. With Montreal's win over Toronto Saturday things are on hold.

Remember when there was concern in the Toronto Maple Leafs camp that Nazem Kadri would continue to miss at the NHL level? That Phil Kessel wasn't going to be able to score goals in 2013? That James Reimer wasn't a bona-fide NHL number 1 goalie?

The Vancouver Canucks and the Toronto Maple Leafs each punched a ticket to the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday night. For the Canucks it was expected while for the Leafs it was a cause for celebration.

With a 4-1 victory over division and provincial rivals the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs have clinched a playoff berth and are headed to the Stanley cup playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Toronto Maple Leafs' star Phil Kessel took a while to get a scoring this season but that's all forgotten now. Kessel, with 16 goals overall, scored 5 last week and doing so got him named the NHL's 2nd star of the week.