Jake McCabe Sends a Strong Message to His Team for the Final Stretch of the Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs are neck and neck with the Florida Panthers for first in the Atlantic Division, and with some very crucial games coming up, they need to be at their best if they want any chance at coming out on top.

So for defenseman Jake McCabe, who has been fantastic this season, he knows how important a comfortable spot in the playoffs. So he wasn't holding back when he addressed what the team needs to do to get there:

Toronto needs to take advantage of a weakened Florida team, and if they can keep their hot streak going then perhaps first in the division isn't necessarily wishful thinking.

Their schedule coming up is going to be critical as well. Four of their next five games are against much weaker opponents, and while nothing can be taken for granted; they need a good showing because their first game in April is against the Panthers.

Hopefully the team is on board with McCabe, and with the way they've played, it's a big turnaround from a week ago.

From going to losing five of seven to a three-game winning streak; it's the type of performance the team needed at exactly the right time.

This season, McCabe has been stellar, earning himself a big extension in the process. He has 20 points in 60 games (2G, 18A) which is a bit of a down year in terms of offensive production, but he's made up for it in spades with his defense.

He has 123 hits and 129 blocks, a plus-23, and alongside Chris Tanev has been one of the NHL's best duos.

With the addition of Brandon Carlo at the NHL Trade Deadline, the Maple Leafs are in a great position to lock things down and end up as division champs, which would give them a huge advantage come playoff time.

And history has shown they'll welcome every advantage they can. They're gonna need it.