Saturday’s win in Boston was big for the Maple Leafs.



They started the game flat as a pancake and, if not for goaltender Frederik Andersen, they could have been down several goals early. Instead, they hung on and hung around the game, getting timely goals from a couple of their rookies. Then more good goaltending.



Why these two points were important is twofold. One, after a frustrating loss to Minnesota earlier in the week, the Leafs young players needed a boost. Toronto was in a mini-skid of sorts, having lost six of their last eight games, and their underlying numbers (like possession) have been trending down.



But the other reason winning Saturday was important was to keep the Leafs in the playoff conversation. While there’s no expectation that this team will do damage in April, the organization wants this group to improve throughout the year, and that will be easier to sell if they’re still in the mix for a wild-card spot late in the...