The Maple Leafs simply look different right now, but the real test is still to come

The vibes are high in the Six, but there’s still a lot of work to be done if the Toronto Maple Leafs want to reach their ultimate goal.

Following another dramatic 3-2 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, the Maple Leafs have a 3-0 series lead in The Battle of Ontario, with a chance to sweep their provincial rivals on Saturday night in enemy territory.

It hasn’t been an easy series for Toronto. Outside of beating up the Senators 6-2 in Game 1, the Leafs have had to bounce back from giving away leads in the third period to win in extra time. However, the maturity the team has shown in finding a way to get the job done when facing adversity is something fans around Leafs Nation aren’t used to.

Yet, despite having a chance to move on to the second for just the second time in 21 years, the Leafs have come to the realization that a series win over Ottawa is just another step on a long path in these playoffs.

On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss while this Leafs team is different, they have a long way to go.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Just another sign that, to me, it’s part of the reason I had them going to the cup final in my DFO bracket. They look a little bit different.

Frank Seravalli: They do, and we can say that, but it’s up for them to believe it. I feel like they do. The real test isn’t going to be the first round for this team. It’s not about winning one round. You don’t just get to sit back and wipe your hands and say, “Oh, we did it. Thank god we got to the second round.” They’ve never made it more than 25 percent of the way to winning a Stanley Cup. That’s the true mark. That’s the test. Look at the Florida Panthers…they’re not sitting here going, “Oh, like I’m scared of the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2. They’ve been to two straight Stanley Cup finals. So, that’s going to be the real test for [the Leafs], not what’s happening against the Sens.

You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…