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 Ether squadron: the goalies.

Traversing the astral plane is dangerous at the best of times. These are not the best of times.

Garrett Sparks shouts and writhes in pain. Curtis McElhinney also spins away from the ethereal attacker. The pair of Toronto Maple Leaf goalies haven’t had any rest for over a week now. They are getting closer to the culmination of the selection ritual. Their astral bodies float far from their physical ones, Frederik Anderson and Calvin Pickard are with them. Freddy Absorbs the magic of the attack and spits it back out at the dark will that strikes out at them from hidden places. While all it’s attention is on Freddy, Calvin slips past the attacker and moves in to support Garret and Curtis. The three begin to chant.

Freddy grapples with shadows that turn into flames. Freddy becomes a fire that burns the brighter. The flames leap off Freddy and become a shark, swimming fast through the void, seeking to escape. Freddy chases.

Curtis, Calvin, and Garrett chant quieter and quieter but as they do their chant takes the form of a hand which grows and grows until it is bigger than the Earth. The fleeing shark cannot move fast enough to escape the grasp of this enormous hand. It writhes as the hand squeezes. The Leafs chant begins to speed up and the hand spins, shrinking with each revolution. Freddy nods his approval at the choice of spell. At last a tiny imp is spinning between the three chanting wizards.

“Show us your treasure.” Freddy demands.