Playoff Chase? Winning Streak?

These are words that have been scarce from Leafs Nation vocabulary all season long, but since the beginning of February, the Leafs have turned the team around and sit just six points back of a playoff spot.

The Leafs started February off going 3 for 4, the three wins being over top three teams in the NHL Detroit, Ottawa, and Montreal, respectively. Their won loss was the 8-0 debacle against the lousy Florida Panthers, one I will probably never forget.

The Leafs followed up these four games with back-to-back nights with losses against Buffalo and the New York Islanders. Since that loss to the Islanders, the Leafs have gone 5 for 6, and their past three games have been three straight wins.

In the month of February, the Leafs are 9-3, and having won 9 out of their last 12, they put themselves just six points back of 8th place Buffalo, and seven points back of 7th place Rangers and 6th place Boston.

I guess I fall under Mr. Bone's typical Leaf fan category when I say this, but correct me if I'm wrong... do you not consider the Flyers, Islanders, and Capitals as legitimate playoff contenders? Yes the Capitals can claim that low 1st place in the Atlantic division, but everybody has been referring to them as being very much in the playoff race, meanwhile they all sit less than four points ahead of the Leafs.

I'd love to see the Leafs make the playoffs, because it now seems too late to drop back to go for the lottery pick, but I just hope they make it to the playoffs this time, rather than finishing in the familiar 9th or 10th place.

Pointless Fact of the Day: The four Saturday games of February were all at home, and in these four games the Leafs won all of them, including wins over Ottawa, Detroit, Boston, and Atlanta. In these games the Leafs outscored their opponents 14-8, with the help of Vesa Toskala.
UPDATE: Another pointless fact, but TSN just said that on February 29th leap year games the Leafs are 8-1 all time, sorry Tampa, tough luck.

Upcoming Games: The Leafs play in Friday-Saturday back to back road games against Tampa Bay and Washington, two teams the Leafs need to beat to stay in the hunt for the playoffs. The Leafs will be looking to extend their winning streak to 4 games, and possibly 5, as well as making their February record a fabulous 10-3. Also, don't expect Raycroft to see any time between the pipes this weekend, as Toskala has been playing far too well and is carrying this team, so I don't see Maurice playing the ever so incompetent Andy Raysoft. A tired Vesku is better than a fresh Raysoft any day.