Whatever I could say, Mike at Vintage Leaf Memories has already said it better.

10 Reasons Why Leaf Fans Can Feel Either Encouraged or Discouraged Heading Into Next Season

1. The team, as currently configured, has become a team that is hard to play against.  There are very few teams that are 'out of reach' for the Leafs, especially in the East where there is so much parity and talent-thin rosters everywhere.

2. For the first time in 20 years, the Leafs have a young goalie who has emerged, with the mental make-up to handle the adversity that he will no doubt face next season and beyond.  Reimer is the closest thing that we have had in net to unflappable in a long time.  (Even the veterans Belfour and Cujo could lose their cool, as we well remember.)

3. A young defense corps with four emerging players all 26 and under—Schenn, Phaneuf, Aulie and Gunnarsson, with Gardiner perhaps waiting in the wings before too long.  There is an almost ideal mix of skating skill, toughness and puck-moving ability.

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Check back in later for the PPP Playoff Prognostication Pool.

More links after the jump.

Leafs Links

Season of Learning Concludes for Leafs

Eat. Sleep. Leafs. with a game recap and a what we learned from it.

Damien Cox Takes More Sides than a Dodecahedron

Fifty Mission Cap with a great piece that makes the Cox Bloc boys happy.

It's Back to the Future For the Maple Leafs

They never reached 88 points, and we didn't see some serious shit.

Scouting Reports: Frattin and Colborne

MLHS with a look at the newest Leafs to take the big ice.

That's a Wrap....For Now

Blue and White bubble puts a bookend on the season.

Leafs to Sign Prospect Leo Komarov

MLHS brings word that another JFJ pick is getting signed.

Youtubin' Komarov

Speak of the devil, Puckin' Eh has some video goodness on the kid.

Game 82 Scoring Chances

Slava Duris with the numbers to show that the Bozak-Kadri-Frattin line was nasty.

Other Links

Teemu Selanne Fight!!

GET OFF HIS LAWN ICE!!

From The Branches