Toronto Maple Leafs: 43 games played, 53 points
Going 7-2-1 in their last ten games played, the Leafs are on the right track to move-up in the division. No one really predicted them to be here, perhaps even management, but Brian Burke’s doings have started to take fruition.
A gritty, hard skating team under new Head Coach Randy Carlyle have turned this team around. They have not qualified for the playoffs in the last 7 seasons, which seems all but guaranteed to be broken this year.
Phil Kessel again leads the Leafs in points with 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points, and Nazem Kadri has been a pleasant surprise with 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points. The defense is lead by Dion Phaneuf (26 points and 83 blocked shots), while the net is split between James Reimer and Ben Scrivens (combined 2.50 goals against average and .921 save percentage).
Key Match-ups: Three game road-trip against the Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. Ending against the Montreal Canadiens may be the final points needed to leap-frog and take the division lead.
