from Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star,

Toronto isn’t rolling into the deep of hockey’s second season, but they don’t need to apologize for their 2018-19 campaign either, even if the results haven’t met the expectations that were exceedingly plump last autumn, arriving at the Christmas break on a home points streak of 10 games.

But let’s not undervalue what has been accomplished, if somewhat fitfully since those halcyon days when Toronto briefly stood atop the league standings, odds-on Las Vegas favourites to become Stanley Cup champions, before meandering off the path of projected destiny.

Tied for most franchise road wins, with 23, a record that could be broken on Saturday.

Career-high goals for John Tavares, with 47, most ever by a Leaf centre.

Two points shy of having a brace of 90-point players — Mitch Marner at 93, with his 26th goal to open the scoring last night; Tavares at 88 — not achieved since Doug Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk in 1993-94....

The NHL season is long and arduous, its rhythm disrupted by streaks and slumps. And if measured by the singular metric of securing home-ice advantage in the playoffs, then the Leafs failed. Except they enjoy a better road record than in the hospital confines of Scotiabank Arena. And they beat the Bruins at TD Centre in Game 5 last April, took a lead into the third period. So that augurs well.

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