Hello Mr. Jekyll. Stick Around A While.

Pity the senators. While other teams have come into the ACC and found a compliant bunch of hockey players the team from the nation's capital ran into the team that us poor optimistic bastards keep telling you guys about.

The goaltending was steady throughout and spectacular when needed, the defence was stingy with scoring chances and kept the shots against down, the forwards backchecked and forechecked with equal vigour, and the effort was not only at its peak but consistent throughout the 60 minutes. What does it all mean?

It was like a flashback to some long ago playoff game. The Ottawa Senators arrived in town, chock full of confidence and talent, remarkable talent, as the league's gold-standard franchise. The Maple Leafs, muddling along at about .500, seemed too slow, bloated and overpaid to stand much of a chance. Surprise, surprise, there's life in the Battle of Ontario, and in the Leafs, again.

Paul Hunter and all Leaf fans will be looking at this game as proof of the potential on paper we have seen since the summer. Whether it is ever met consistently (there is that word again) is another matter. For now, according to the theory behind this site, the Leafs are the best team in the league. Discuss.