At the Amateur Draft the Leafs pick Brandon Convery 8th overall who also turns out to be a dud. Still 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. 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.
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. 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.
The Detroit Red Wings, who finished second in the Norris Division, were the Leafs’ opponents in the first round. The Red Wings took the first two games at home by 6-3 and 6-2 scores. Incredibly, the Red Wing players were heard mocking the Leafs as unworthy playoff opponents.
But this was a different Leaf team than in previous seasons for sure. Coach Pat Burns would not let the team quit. Captain Wendel Clark came back to play an outstanding series and spiritual leader Doug Gilmour showed why he had captured the adoration of Toronto fans. This Leafs edition had a rock-solid defence with offensive prowess helped by newly acquired Dave Andreychuk, who with Doug Gilmour as his centerman, became a 50-goal shooter with the Leafs.
The series eventually came down to overtime in the seventh game at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena when the Leafs’ diminutive right-winger, Nik Borschevsky, scored to send the Leafs into the next series. Of course, Doug Gilmour not only scored the tying goal late in the third period to send the game into overtime, but also helped set up the overtime goal.
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. I was at the game sitting behind the net watching him skate back and forth behind the St. Louis net 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 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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