Look, I know how this goes. It is October 5, 2026, and once again, I find myself looking at the standings, searching for a reason to believe. The Leafs are 1-2-0, two games back in the Atlantic, and frankly, I have been hurt enough times to know better than to get excited. Yet, here we are. The season is live, and while the rest of the league is preoccupied with tonight's schedule—PHI at TB, OTT at BOS, WPG at PIT, and SJ at DAL—I am still trying to process the fact that we are actually playing hockey again. We saw some results yesterday, October 4, like Winnipeg beating Detroit 3-2 and New York taking down Utah 4-2, but those are just numbers on a screen. For us? It is about whether this roster can finally do what it hasn't done since 1967. We have 81 games left to prove we aren't just a perennial punchline. It is a long road, and as a long-suffering fan, I have plenty of experience walking it. I will keep watching, keep hoping, and keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Welcome to another season of Leafs hockey.