Former Leafs Star Goalie Ed Belfour Fires Up Fans with Comments After Game 1

'Eddie the Eagle' skated in 20 playoff games for the Maple Leafs in his time spent with the team and while he never won the Cup with them, he certainly did his best to give them a fighting chance, even if they came up short.

Playing in one series against the Senators as a member of the Leafs, he knows the intensity and atmosphere surrounding the Battle of Ontario. He was successful in his endeavor, although both of his playoff series losses came at the hands of the once powerful Philadelphia Flyers.

But as he was speaking on the Leafs Morning Take podcast after a dominant Game One from the current rendition of the Maple Leafs, the former star goalie and Stanley Cup winner had some huge praise for the team:

It's one thing to say the Leafs played well, they typically seem to do most nights. However, it was the collective effort from all players, and the urgency and sense of accountability each player had motivated them to completely destroy Ottawa.

Frustrating the Senators all night, the Leafs goaded them into penalty after penalty, and drew a huge fracas at the end of the game.

They're playing smart, they're playing hard, and surprisingly a bit sneaky; it's a fresh change from the last few years of playoff hockey, and something that was needed in order for them to find success.

Given that the team isn't going to have the luxury of Ridly Greig sitting out after a lack of accountability from the NHL, it's going to be up to everyone to put in the exact same effort and we know that they aren't going down without swinging.

Belfour also has to be appreciative that Toronto's Core Four has finally started putting the numbers together as well, given how he was able to have the luxury of Mats Sundin, Gary Roberts, Alexander Mogilny, and Nik Antropov; almost a Core Four of his own.

If it harkens back to the success that Belfour had in his time with the team, that means that the current edition of the postseason Leafs are going to have a deep push for the Stanley Cup.

Though he couldn't do it with the team, Belfour is certainly hoping to be a part of history as a fan.