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TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

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TORONTO – In the century-long history of the Maple Leafs’ franchise, no team has ever won more than 45 games total ­– or more than 26 games at home – in a single season.

With a victory over the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Monday, this iteration of the Leafs can do both, not to mention extend a franchise-record 13-game home win streak.

Considering the Leafs are still less than two years removed from the 2015-16 season where they finished dead last in the NHL, the historic marks within their reach seem all the more impressive. 

Or at least they will, some day.

“I don’t want to take away from how important [those records are], but I think that’s things that you [look at] after in your life,” said Mike Babcock after Toronto’s optional skate on Monday. “I don’t think that has anything to do with today or getting better. All those things, when they fire you into the ground one day, they can talk about that stuff. In the meantime, let’s try to get better.”

Continuous improvement has become Toronto’s guiding philosophy as the team waits out these final seven games before playoffs begin. Seven points (and one fewer game remaining) separate Toronto from the Boston Bruins above them in the Atlantic Division, so the Leafs’ are unofficially locked in as the third seed.

With Buffalo already eliminated from contention and only three potential postseason candidates among the final seven opponents the Leafs will see, it will be on individual players to maintain their preparation levels over the next two weeks.

“We have to look internally and make sure we’re playing our best when playoffs start, and that starts tonight and building off what we think we can do better from last game,” said Connor Brown. “You don’t want to get ahead of yourself. You want to take it one day at a time, get as good as we can be and be peaking at the right time. But we know [playoffs is] going to be an exciting time.”

“[We’re] just trying to finish off any details we need to work on [before playoffs],” added Jake Gardiner. “We’re watching Boston, watching Tampa, see how that unfolds. Kind of wish it was tomorrow that [playoffs] started, but we just have to keep playing these games and get points.”

Dialing-in on the nuances of their game was seemingly easier to do last week, when Toronto faced the NHL’s two best teams in the Lightning and Nashville Predators. Now they’ll have to find the same energy to stick with their structure against a lowly Buffalo squad that has fewer total home wins this season (11) than the Leafs have amassed since their last defeat at Air Canada Centre on Jan. 22.

But the Leafs had good reason on Monday to be emphasizing shop-worn clichés like taking things “day by day.”

On Saturday, the eliminated Red Wings outplayed the Leafs for much of what turned out to be a 4-3 Detroit loss, but it was a reminder for Toronto that while their postseason berth is all but guaranteed, how well they play once the tournament rolls around is not.

The Sabres have also been as perennially difficult foe for the Leafs – Toronto is already 1-1-0 against them this year, and despite their middling record Buffalo has collected six victories so far over the Leafs, Bruins and Lightning combined.

“I can tell you the Buffalo Sabres will be all we can handle here tonight, they always are,” said Babcock.  “Do you want to be at full panic mode [for the postseason] hoping that you find your game going in, or do you want to feel good about yourself? When you win today, everything is good. When you’re playing good today, everything is okay.”

Not only have the Sabres already played the Leafs tough in two previous meetings this month, on Monday they’ll have Jack Eichel back in the lineup, while the Leafs will have Auston Matthews on board to face his good friend and former U.S. National Team Development Program teammate.

Neither young star was available due to injury when the teams last met, and Babcock said he expects both players to have added motivation in taking each other on.

“[Eichel] gets excited to play against Matty, and he’s a good hockey player,” said Babcock. “They’re going to be above us, they’re going to play tight, they’re going to compete hard, and there’s no team they’d rather beat than us. It’s going to be a good test for our team here tonight.”

 

Maple Leafs projected lineup vs. Buffalo

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander

Marleau-Kadri-Marner

van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Brown

Johnsson-Plekanec-Kapanen

 

Rielly-Hainsey

Gardiner-Zaitsev

Dermott-Polak

 

Andersen starts

McElhinney