1992–93 Toronto Maple Leafs season
| 1992–93 Toronto Maple Leafs | |
|---|---|
| Division | 3rd Norris |
| Conference | 4th Campbell |
| 1992–93 record | 44–29–11 |
| Home record | 25–11–6 |
| Road record | 19–18–5 |
| Goals for | 288 |
| Goals against | 241 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Cliff Fletcher |
| Coach | Pat Burns |
| Captain | Wendel Clark |
| Alternate captains |
Doug Gilmour Bob Rouse |
| Arena | Maple Leaf Gardens |
| Average attendance | 15,676 |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Nikolai Borschevsky (34) |
| Assists | Doug Gilmour (95) |
| Points | Doug Gilmour (127) |
| Penalties in minutes | Rob Pearson (211) |
| Plus/minus |
(+): Nikolai Borschevsky (+33) (–): Dave McLlwain (–18) |
| Wins | Felix Potvin (25) |
| Goals against average | Daren Puppa (2.25) |
The 1992-93 season was a triumph for the Maple Leafs. It saw them set franchise records in wins (44) and points (99). The 21-year-old goaltender Felix Potvin played his first full season with the team and was solid, with a 25-15-7 record, a GAA of 2.50, 2 shutouts, and a .910 SV%. In a season that saw 20 of 24 teams average more than 3 goals scored per game, the Maple Leafs goaltending was one of the best in the NHL, allowing only 241 goals in 84 games (only the Chicago Blackhawks allowed fewer goals than Toronto). The Maple Leafs also had a strong defense corps, anchored by Dave Ellett, Todd Gill, Sylvain Lefebvre, Jamie Macoun, Dimitri Mironov and Bob Rouse. Out of all 24 teams, the Maple Leafs allowed the fewest power-play goals in the regular season (69). Newcomers Dave Andreychuk and Daren Puppa also played very well. In just 31 games with the Leafs, Andreychuk scored 25 goals and had 13 assists for 38 points. Puppa won 6 out of 8 games, had a GAA of 2.25, 2 shutouts, and a .922 SV%. Rookie Nikolai Borschevsky led the team in goals with 34 and would score a very memorable goal in the first round of the playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings; Borschevsky deflected Bob Rouse's shot 2:35 into the first overtime period of game 7 at Joe Louis Arena to give the Leafs a 4-3 win and a 4-games-to-3 series win.
Doug Gilmour had a career year in 1992–93. He had a franchise-record 127 points during the 1992–1993 regular season and ranked eighth in league scoring. In the playoffs, he played a key role as the Leafs took out the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, both in seven games. Gilmour finished the postseason with 35 points, behind only Wayne Gretzky. Gilmour was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy as regular-season MVP and won the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward, the first major NHL award that a Leaf player had won since 1967.
One of Gilmour's most memorable goals was scored during the 1993 second round playoffs series against the St. Louis Blues, in the second sudden death overtime period. Many fans remember him skating back and forth behind the St. Louis net multiple times before finally sliding the puck behind a sprawling Curtis Joseph. The Maple Leafs would go on to win the series, but would eventually be eliminated in the next round by Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings. Toronto was leading the Conference series against Los Angeles 3–2 and many fans, including CBC's Don Cherry, were hoping for an all-Canadian final as the Montreal Canadiens already advanced. However, during overtime of game six, Gretzky high-sticked Gilmour, drawing blood, without being assessed a penalty by the referee, Kerry Fraser, and then scored the winning goal moments later to stave off elimination. During game seven back at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Leafs were trailing 5–3 after Gretzky completed his hat-trick. The Maple Leafs scored one goal but couldn't find the equalizer, which sent the Kings to the finals.
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