The Maple Leafs’ opponent Friday is the superstar-studded Chicago Blackhawks – a.k.a. the NHL’s defending Stanley Cup champions, one of the most decorated, celebrated squads of the modern-day era, and, as winners of nine consecutive games, the league’s hottest team. And if the Hawks look like they’ve got an aura of confidence when they take to the ice at Air Canada Centre, that’s because they do, and they’ve done the work necessary to feel that way.
“They’ve got a swagger to themselves, and they’ve earned that with what they’ve done the last few years,” Leafs forward Shawn Matthias said of the Hawks, who moved into a tie for first place in the Western Conference after their 2-1 victory over Montreal Thursday.