Most Leafs fans are banking on the post-season. Even with all their warts, Tuesday night showed the Leafs should be fine over the course of an 82-game regular season. And gaining a top-three position in the Atlantic Division is all the more likely given how these first few weeks have shaken out.

But the reality is Leafs fans may have to accept who this team is — and isn’t. You can expect to watch this spaghetti western for the rest of the regular season. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” did not win an Oscar. This regular season may not either. But it should be good enough to give the Leafs another chance to get past the first round.

-Nick Kypreos on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Read more from Kypreos at the Toronto Star.