Maple Leafs happy with progress despite spot in standings

The Toronto Maple Leafs might still be far from a contender, but they're content with that they've achieved this season.

The club will hit the halfway mark when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, and despite sitting 27th in league standings, forward P.A. Parenteau suggests the team is happy, especially after their 1-8-2 start.

"The way I look at it, with the start that we had and where we’re at right now, I think it’s pretty impressive," Parenteau told TSN's Jonas Siegel. "Obviously we’d like to be above .500 - I think we should be as a team, too, the way we’ve been playing - but it’s very positive. We’re going the right way."

The team can attribute their positive play to the $8-million man, head coach Mike Babcock, and his deployment of a rather unconventional system, which assigns each player a specific role.

"I’ve never seen it done like that, but I think it helps," said Parenteau. “Personally, I like the role that I’m in and I’ve really found a niche here with Babs."

The Maple Leafs look to be taking Babcock's advice to heart and reaping the benefits. The club has gone 15-10-5 since November, good enough for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

"I think our team has gotten better every day and played harder and harder and so I like that," said Babcock. "I like the direction we’re going. I don’t like the standings. But I like a lot of things about us."