Toronto Maple Leafs Discover Secret Ingredient Unlocking Their Playoff Potential

It's been a crazy season so far for the Maple Leafs. Not just because they are more than likely going to capture the Atlantic Division crown, but throughout all of the question marks about the future and injury issues, they've managed to persevere regardless.

They've never been in as good a spot as now, with reliable and consistent goaltending, improved defense, more secondary offense and a head coach who legitimately motivates his players; for the first time in the Matthews era seems like they have an honest shot at making a deep push.

But it all starts with that man behind the bench, and what he has done to transform and evolve his team into a Swiss Army knife of skills, plus a missing ingredient to complete the championship recipe.

If you had to narrow down exactly what's been the cause for the turnaround this season for the Maple Leafs, you'd have to look at Craig Berube's ability to bring out the more abrasive side of his players.

The other night against Columbus we saw Mitch Marner; nowhere near a fighter or aggressive player, essentially pull the bigger Sean Kuraly away after he tried to start stuff with Auston Matthews.

It was something we wouldn't really have seen in years past, and the game being simplified into something Berube recently mentioned has led to a lot of success:

Toronto has also gotten a lot of different players involved in some fisticuffs too, even without Ryan Reaves. Guys like Pontus Holmberg, Matthew Knies, Max Domi, and Morgan Rielly have all gotten into fights at one point this year, and it shows something the NHL really isn't going to be prepared for.

Everyone on Toronto can, and is willing to fight. It's an aura that the team hasn't had for decades and could spell success for a team fighting for its first title in over 55 years.

It will also spell disaster for the rest of the league, because they don't know what's coming.