Morgan Rielly suffered a significant knee injury on Nov. 21 and it appeared to spell impending doom for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Already missing Jake Muzzin due to another head/neck injury suffered in October, there were major doubts about how the Maple Leafs would remain afloat in the vaunted Atlantic Division, while missing the two central tenets to their blue line.
One month can make all the difference in the world. Entering the new year, Toronto sits second in the Atlantic with an impressive 22-7-6 record, the third-best mark in the NHL, and the franchise is finding ways to win games in a multitude of ways.