To quote Gordon Bombay from Mighty Ducks: D2, “that wasn’t a win, that was a statement.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t just beat the rival Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena, they wiped the ice with them, too.

For my money, that was as good of a team performance as I’ve seen in recent memory. For a good chunk of the game, it looked like an All-Star team playing an ECHL team. They were that good. The Leafs played big boy hockey.

The most impressive part was who they did it against. I know these aren’t the same Tampa Bay Lightning that went to three Stanley Cup Finals just a few short years ago but they’re still a very solid team armed with numerous first ballot Hall-of-Famers.

The Maple Leafs bullied the big, bad Bolts out of the building. Plain and simple. They had no answer.

In six short games, there’s no question that Toronto’s adopted the bulldog mentality put forth by its new head coach. Most notably, I think it was important for them to put together an overwhelming display like that against a team like Tampa, who undoubtedly could be in the postseason mix with the Leafs down the road. It was the first true statement victory of the 2024-25 campaign.

Suffice it is to say, this team is wasting no time setting a tone for the entire season. They’re playing for keeps.

From the tenacious forecheck to the north-south style of play, there’s been minimal complacency to be found in the early going. If it has seeped in – even for a millisecond – Craig Berube has been quick to crack the whip. All in all, it’s been refreshing to see him do his thing behind the bench.

I don’t know who needs to hear this but it’s okay to be jacked up about this team right now. In the grand scheme of things, yes, I’m well aware that it’s just October, and ultimately, this squad will be judged by what it does or doesn’t do in the spring time. That said, currently, I’m really enjoying the product.

Leafs Nation, it’s okay to be vulnerable.