The Leafs are red hot, and it’s been a long time since we could say that. It looks like this team has turned a corner, found an identity, and are rolling with it. And it all started in Atlanta a few weeks ago. All we hope is that this 4 day break does not screw things up.

The game starts and both teams are playing well. Both are playing defensive-minded hockey. The Leafs fired 8 shots on net in the first, while Atlanta got 6, both without goals.

The second period was a different story. Atlanta still got their shots (12), but it was Toronto who was dominating play. Toskala was phenomenal in net, stopping everything Atlanta threw at him. At the other end of the ice, it was the Leafs that were capitalizing.

Kari Lehtonen came out to play the puck in the corner and completely misplayed the puck. His feeble attempt to swing the puck around the boards ended up on Boyd Devereaux’s stick, who potted a short-handed tally. An embarrassing goal to be sure.

The Leafs were once again pressuring around Atlanta’s net about 3 minutes later. Sundin had the puck on his stick, came around the left side of the night, turned and fired the puck at a very sharp angle. It squeaked through the closed legs of Lehtonen for another embarrassing goal.

The third period saw more bombarding by Toronto. The Maple Leafs out-shot Atlanta 13 to 6, and were rewarded twice. Alexei Ponikarovsky scored two goals in a minute and a half to cap off a 4-0 win on the road.

It was the perfect way to start a long 7-day road trip.