Maple Leafs' Win in Chicago A Lot More Significant Than Originally Thought

The Maple Leafs did not receive any goal support from their top guys on Sunday, but still managed to skate away with a 5-2 in Chicago, despite a controversial tally late in the 3rd period.

The win marked their 2nd consecutive win coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break and their 4th win in their last 5 games. Not only that, but Sunday's win at United Center happens to be the Leafs' 1st regulation win in that historic building since 2003.

In addition to securing their first regulation win at United Center in 22 seasons, the Leafs' win last night actually moved them back into 1st place in the Atlantic Division. So, ultimately, this was more than just your run-of-the-mill victory for the Maple Leafs.

The 35-20-2 Leafs have racked up 72 points across 57 games thus far, sitting just 1 point up on the 34-21-3 Florida Panthers, who have played 58 games, posting 71 points.

The Leafs are still in the market for a middle-six centre, and with the trade deadline now just 10 days away, we're getting down to the stretch of games where we might begin to see some new players come in. Conversely, we could see some players exit the organization as well, as the Leafs are very much up against the salary cap.

With just 25 games remaining on the docket for the Leafs, they appear to be well on their way to securing a division title and home ice advantage to begin the playoffs.