When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. The Leafs have undergone a major overhaul this year. Of all the changes, none has been more impactful than the addition of a squadron based tactical deployment that head coach Mike Babcock and GM Kyle Dubas designed to keep the peace on the mean Toronto streets. Today we follow Otter squad: the centers

Only the grittiest of patrons grind their night away at Danby’s Bar n Grill in Munster on the Eastern edge of Ottawa. Matt Duchene is one of those patrons, though in the red haze of the early Ottawa morning you would be forgiven if you didn’t recognize the hockey star. Doesn’t help that he’s sitting at the bar with his head in his hands, a half full glass of brown liquor in front of him. Matt is trying to hide but he can’t hide from his old national teammate John Tavares.

John strolls into Danby’s like he owns the place and approaches his old teammate slowly.

“Two neat Jacks please.” John calls to the bartender. Matt looks up.

“Eugene says I’m supposed to fight you.” The Senator does not appear prepared to fight much more than a headache.

“And does Mr. Melnyk own you?” John asks. Matt doesn’t answer. The bartender brings the drinks. John pushes them both towards Matt. “Drink up buddy.” Matt takes the two glasses down quick as John signals for two more.

For a while the two friends sit in a comfortable silence, their backs to the blazing Ottawa skyline. John makes sure there is always a drink in front of Matt. Matt makes sure John spends almost a grand in liquor. At last John turns around and looks out at Ottawa. The city is burning uncontrollably and has been for weeks. Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri and the Goat (Freddy Gauthier) are fighting the blaze along with the Toronto Maple Leaf robot army under the control of technopath Morgan Rielly. John’s ability to freeze anything around him would be immensely useful getting the blaze under control but he had to try and rally his old friend. Matt is a superhero in his own right, swift and sure in the face of any danger. In Colorado he had made the world a safer place, but something sinister is happening in Ottawa. The city burns and burns and hero’s are being sent out of town.

“I watched Flight of the Navigator yesterday.” Matt says as he turns around. “It’s a brilliant movie. I wonder why it hasn’t been remade yet? If ever you needed proof that Hollywood is clueless there it is. They remade Baywatch for crying out loud.”

“I didn’t mind Baywatch.” John laughs.

“It wasn’t bad,” Matt agree’s “I’m just saying that Flight of the Navigator is a really good movie. There’s excitement and emotion and a tiny little alien pet, it’s perfect. But do we get to see an updated version? No. And I just don’t understand why not. You could probably just keep the exact script, all you would need to change is the dates to make it current. Seriously, I don’t even have kids and I was crying when David was finally reunited with his family.”

“I haven’t seen it in a long time,” John admits. “But if it’s as perfect as you say maybe it’s a good thing no one has tried to remake it.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Matt sighs and spins back toward the bar.

“So…” Reluctantly John mentions the elephant in the firelit room. “Are you going out to fight the fire tonight?”

“No.” Matt admits. “Eugene won’t let us fight the fire until the city pays for a new arena.”

“That’s not right.” John was angry before, now he’s seething. “Come on, come out with me. Let’s make a difference.”

“I would but…” Matt searches for the right words but settles for the wrong ones. “I don’t know.”

“That’s disappointing.” John says.

John reaches up to his ear and activates his Toronto Maple Leafs communicator. He signals to the bartender for two more drinks and throws a wad of bills onto the bar. Without looking John walks out of Danby’s.

“He won’t come.” John says.

He gazes out at the red glow of the city in flames. The beauty of the disaster is not lost on the thoughtful Leaf. For all Matt’s power he seems helpless in the face of what’s happening in Ottawa.

“Are you surprised?” A voice says from behind John.

“No sensei.” John doesn’t need to turn to know that Hayley Wickenheiser is behind him.

“I’ve recalled Otter squad.” Hayley says. “There’s no fighting this fire, even if we put it out it will just get started again. For the time being we can only watch as Ottawa burns.”