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MILTON – During his off-season training regimen, Frederik Andersen didn’t have to go deep into his memory bank for inspiration.

“The motivation is just that we want to keep winning the last game of the year,” Andersen said on Monday. “That’s what keeps you going in the summer when you come up short. You want to come back better.”

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The last game of the year for the Leafs, of course, was nothing short of disaster, their 2018 playoff charge ending in seven games on April 25 when the Boston Bruins scored four goals in the third period of Game 7 to eliminate Toronto with a 7-4 win.

While the loss could become a source of motivation, truth be told, this Leafs team should not need it. There are good feelings among a strong group that became better with the addition of John Tavares, a fact that the soft-spoken Andersen acknowledged.

“It’s exciting,” Andersen said. “He is a natural leader and a superstar in the league, so it’s a big honour to get him and choosing to join us is great.