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Before one puck even dropped in North Division play this year, Sunday was the kind of game Sheldon Keefe said the Maple Leafs must learn to survive.
The third of four on the road, coming off two big wins in the fight for first place with Winnipeg, looking flat against a struggling playoff team and using a back-up goalie. Losing points in such vital contests was why the Leafs kept struggling to find their identity and an easier path in post-season action.
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The Maple Leafs held a team meeting on Sunday.
Morgan Rielly will play his 555th game as a Maple Leaf tonight moving past Brian Glennie and into 10th place on the franchise s all-time list among defencemen. There s great history here and just to play one game for this organization, you re automatically a part of it and that s special, the 27-year-old said. I ve been pretty fortunate to be around.
Tim Horton tops the list with 1,184 games played in blue and white. Rielly is now closing in on Ian Turnbull who is ninth with 580 games played.
Rielly, who was drafted fifth overall by Toronto in 2012, was asked if there s a former Leafs defenceman he s come to respect.