Thornton says Maple Leafs embracing chance to change playoff fortunes

Joe Thornton said the Toronto Maple Leafs are poised to make their own history rather than dwell on Stanley Cup Playoff failures when they host the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup First Round on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, SN, TVAS).

The veteran forward, in his first season with Toronto, laughed when asked how he can block out the struggles of the Maple Leafs, who have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967 and have not won a playoff series since 2004. Toronto has lost five series since then, including one in each of the past four seasons.
"It's easy," he said Wednesday. "I don't care what happened yesterday. It doesn't matter to me. This is a brand-new group. Every year it's a new group. You rarely see any team stay the same. So this is a new group, and we're going to see what we can do.
"It's a special group. We know the challenge ahead, and we're pumped."
Perhaps Thornton can relate to the urgency surrounding Toronto trying to end its droughts this postseason better than his teammates. In his 23rd NHL season, the 41-year-old is seeking his first Stanley Cup championship. He has reached the Stanley Cup Final once, when the San Jose Sharks lost the best-of-7 series to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in 2016.
"This is a chance, man," Thornton said. "And we're all embracing it."
In an interview with NHL.com, Thornton discussed why he feels he and the Maple Leafs, who finished first in the Scotia North Division, can win the Cup this season.
As the player in this postseason who has played the most NHL regular-season games (1,680) without winning the Stanley Cup, how excited are you about your team's chances on the eve of your first game?
"First off, it's never a guarantee of getting in the postseason. I've learned that in years past. So to get in the postseason, it's a huge thing. There are a lot of good teams that don't make the postseason. We're in the postseason now and the first game starts tomorrow. Really, you don't want to look at the end goal, you want to just take it game by game. And I think that's a good way of looking at it. Nothing is won on your first shift and nothing is lost on your first shift, so it's about keeping things in perspective. Having said that, I'm super excited to start tomorrow."
What have you learned this season about your teammates and, for that matter, the team as a whole?
"First and foremost we're a very competitive team, a really deep team and a very dangerous team, resilient, all those things. I think to get first in your division you've got to have a lot of depth, a lot of character, a lot of skill, a lot of competitiveness. And I think this team has that."
Coach Sheldon Keefe was asked this week about the pressure on a team that has not won a playoff series since 2004. He said he didn't sense any from the team and cited a quote from your first press conference with the Maple Leafs in October, when you said, "I have no stress, man. I really don't." How much of your stress-free mindset do you think has been passed on to your teammates?
"We just feel comfortable as a team. And I think that's a powerful thing. We've been through some ups and downs throughout this year like any team has. And we stayed level-headed. And now we really just take it day by day. This team has learned each and every day. We're going to learn more after tomorrow night's game and we're going to continue to learn and have fun as a group, enjoy this group, and just feel excited at the chance we've been given. We're going to make the most out of it."
What kind of influence do you think veteran newcomers to the Maple Leafs this season, like yourself and forward Wayne Simmonds, have had in the dressing room in wiping the slate clean?
"Yeah, I think (forward) Jason Spezza (who signed with Toronto before last season) is in there too. The thing is these younger players are fantastic. These guys are studs and they want to have fun and enjoy the game. I think you've seen that all season long. These guys aren't playing with fear. They're not playing the, 'What if?' game. They're playing some darn good hockey and just enjoying playing this game. And it's a good feeling."
When you were growing up in St. Thomas, Ontario, how much was the Maple Leafs-Canadiens rivalry part of your family, if at all?
"No. Never. So this is going to be huge, man. First time in 42 years these teams are going to meet in the playoffs. This is hockey! To be part of this is going to be very, very cool. Remember that kids book we all used to read?"
You mean "The Hockey Sweater"? The classic story of the boy in Quebec who gets sent a Maple Leafs sweater instead of a Maurice "Rocket" Richard Canadiens sweater that was ordered, and how he was humiliated by it?
"That's it! I read it to my kid (son River) when he was growing up. He's 7 now, but he was 2 or 3 when I read it to him. It was great! And it shows how long this rivalry has been going on."
You were part of an intense rivalry with the Canadiens early in your NHL career when you were with the Boston Bruins. You know how passionate the fans are in Toronto and Montreal. Have you noticed any kind of public buzz heading into this series, even in a safety-first COVID-19 world?
"Oh yeah. People are jacked up for this rivalry. It's been a long time coming. I think both teams, both cities, I think it's a special time for all involved, and everyone's going to enjoy this series."
What do the Maple Leafs have to do to be successful against the Canadiens?
"They're a great team, man. They have an elite goaltender in Carey Price, they've got big, strong players, a lot of skill and very feisty forwards. This is a good first round. Both teams are excellent teams, so it's going to be exciting."
Having said that, how far can your team go?
"We're just going to take it one day at a time, man. That's so cliche, but that's the only way we can look at it, one game at a time. We're not we're not getting too far ahead of ourselves."
Finally, how much fun are you having? You're 41, but do you feel like 31? 21?
"I feel great, man, I really do. This team, like this group of guys, we really do have fun with each other. I've said this over and over, I wish you guys would experience this team because you'd see how we laugh. We have fun, but we work our butts off, man. We work every day. We're putting the work in. And yeah, even when it's time to go, we have a smile doing it. It's been awesome."