Hainsey showing Maple Leafs what it takes to win Stanley Cup

PITTSBURGH -- Ron Hainsey walked out of the Pittsburgh Penguins offices Saturday night, smiling and clutching a box in his hand.
His
Toronto Maple Leafs had just defeated the Penguins 4-3
at PPG Paints Arena, and the veteran defenseman, behind closed doors, was presented with his Stanley Cup ring.

Traded to the Penguins by the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 23, Hainsey, 36, enjoyed a Stanley Cup Playoff ride that ended with him hoisting the trophy he had so coveted during his 14 NHL seasons.
Now here he was, receiving his championship jewelry after helping defeat the team he'd won it with.
"It was very nice," Hainsey said. "What can you say, it's a special place, special organization, from ownership down. There are people over there who I've known since I was 8 years old and obviously got to know a lot more in my short couple months. Special place, special team for sure."
Hainsey, who signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Maple Leafs on July 1, said the Maple Leafs have improvements to make to reach the Penguins' heights.
"We still have a long way to go, and it's early," he said. "But guys are learning and you can see it's pointed in the right direction."
The Maple Leafs aspire to be what the Penguins are. A victory at the home of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions shows they are taking steps, however small they might be, in that direction.
Motivation was everywhere the Maple Leafs looked, whether it be Hainsey's ring, the yellow-and-black Stanley Cup banners dangling from the rafters or just the sight of Sidney Crosby, who has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP two consecutive times.
"To come here and win against a team like that, in their home rink, with those championship banners up there, it's big," said Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen, who made 33 saves. "It gives you an idea of where you are and how far you still need to go to reach your goal."
Andersen said seeing Hainsey's ring should stoke the desire of his teammates to accomplish the same thing.
"I remember when I was in Anaheim (2013-16), I saw Dustin Penner's two rings, one that he won with the Los Angeles Kings (2012), the other with the Ducks (2007)," Andersen said. "It drives you. You see one and you say, 'I want one of those.'"

During his Stanley Cup ride last spring, Hainsey learned the importance of a supporting cast for a championship team. As much as players like Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel were the foundation of the title run, the accomplishment would not have been achieved without the significant contributions of players like Jake Guentzel, Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust.
On Saturday, the Maple Leafs used the same recipe for success.
In a game hyped as Crosby against Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs center was held without a point and did not have a shot for the second time in his NHL career, a span of 108 regular-season games.
Enter the Mitchell Marner-Tyler Bozak-James van Riemsdyk line, which accounted for three of the four goals. Bozak ended a 13-game goal drought by scoring twice, the first time he'd scored since Nov. 4 against the St. Louis Blues.
The most important goal came at 18:13 of the second period. With the Penguins having cut a 3-0 Maple Leafs lead to 3-2, Bozak scored 22 seconds after Malkin had brought the hosts to within one.
"That was big in terms of shifting momentum," Bozak said. "It was nice to get some bounces and have the puck follow us around a bit."

Just 24 hours after facing Crosby, the Maple Leafs go up against another of the sport's marquee players, Connor McDavid, when they host the Edmonton Oilers at Air Canada Centre on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVA Sports, NHL.TV).
For Hainsey, the back-to-back games against two of the League's top stars are just the latest tests in the Maple Leafs' pursuit of success. And maybe, just maybe, he said, a playoff date against the Penguins might be down the road.
"Certainly, we're all fans at some level and that would be a cool series with a chance to go to the Final, or whatever, but there is a long way to go," he said. "It's only [Dec. 9], or whatever, so it's all about putting ourselves in a good position, and I'm sure they're doing the same thing over there.
"They've played a lot of hockey the past couple of years and they know. It's about putting yourself in a good position come April, and we'll see where it goes from there."
Ron Hainsey knows of what he speaks. And now he has the Stanley Cup ring to prove it.