Читать книгу Hope and Heartbreak in Toronto. Life as a Maple Leafs Fan онлайн

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Beyond Gilmour, the guidance of Burns, and an impressive supporting cast led by Wendel Clark and others, most notably fifty-goal man Dave Andreychuk, who had been acquired by Fletcher in his various wheelings and dealings, the Leafs were suddenly a very good team. Deep down the middle, with a solid defence, playing in front of a very capable young goaltender in Felix Potvin, in the space of a year the Leafs had gone from being also-rans trying to shake off the doldrums of the Harold Ballard era to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

I’ve never forgotten the sudden transformation, and I even think that the quick 1993 reversal still plays a role in how Leafs fans of today think that a turnaround is possible in the space of a few weeks; because it felt like back then, that the team became Cup contenders almost overnight.

Seven-game wins over Detroit (a massive upset) and St. Louis set up a series with the Wayne Gretzky–led Los Angeles Kings, a matchup that even non-Toronto fans and media have acknowledged as being one of the best played in the post-expansion-era NHL. Say what you want about over-the-top Hogtown hubris, every hockey fan should have the opportunity to experience two weeks like those that took place in late May in Toronto in ’93.