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 Damasque squad: the defence.

A gargantuan alien craft has parked itself directly above the city of Toronto. It is similar to the one fought off by the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the preseason. This time the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings work together to defeat the alien invasion.

Travis Dermott runs into Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev in a smoke filled street near the front lines.

“Where’s Ozy?” Jake asks. Igor Ozhiganov is Travis’ partner meaning Travis ought to know where he is but he doesn’t

“He’s this way.” Nikita says striding with purpose toward some ruined buildings.

“How do you know?” Travis asks as he follows  

They make their way  down some crumbling stairs into a low basement. They find Igor there and he is not alone.

With the rookie Leaf are two Los Angeles Kings, whose visit to Toronto couldn’t have come at a better time. Anze Kopitar is an impressive figure even in a dingy basement, his hair waves though there is no breeze. Ilya Kovalchuk stands as the Leafs enter, he looks annoyed.

“Did you need to bring them?” The King asks.

“We need time, da?” Nikita answers.

“Time for what?” Jake demands. “What is going on here?”

“We are going to save the city, da?” Nikita assures his partner.  

“How are we going to do that from here?” Jake asks.

“Not you, us.” Ilya says, pointing to Igor, Nikita and himself.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Jake demands,standing nose to nose with Ilya.

Ilya shoves Jake. Quickly things go from bad to worse. Travis grows large enough to fill half the cramped space and grabs Ilya. Anze bellows a wordless noise and his hair, eyebrows, beard and all, grows out to lash around Travis’ whole enlarged body. The young Leaf is wrapped tight in Anze’s wild growth. Even as he stands, Jake veers into thousands of snakes and slithers over everything.

Igor opens his mouth and lets out an ear splitting sceech. “00II00 00II0II0II0I0 00II0I”

Everyone stops and stares

“0I 00III00I II000I0II0II0 III00I0I0III0II0I0II I0I0I0I00I0I000IIIII0I0I” Ilya’s answer is less painful, yet still uncomfortable.

“Come on guys, you know we don’t speak Russian.” Travis says.

Anze laughs and his hair retracts. “Is not Russian, they are cyborgs, they speak binary.”

“Oh.” Travis says, shrinking and putting Ilya gently on the ground.

Jake veers from thousands of snakes to one gigantic one and coils himself up in a corner.

“It will work.” Nikita says to Jake. “The three of us can link up and hack into the alien ship, disabling its shields and the robots in one shot.” The snake, Jake, flicks his tongue out. “Well we are going to try. And we need you, All of you” Nikita turns to Travis and Anze. “Once we begin the aliens will know we are here. They will attack us with everything they have.”

Ilya, Nikita and Igor clasp arms in the center of the room.  They lean their heads back and hold their mouths open.

“000III000 II00III 000I0III I 000I0III0III0I00 II0I000I I000I0I0I00III 000III0III0I00II0III 000I0I0II0I0I000I00 I0I0II00I0II0I0II I0I000IIII0I0II000 I0I000II0III0III0I0I0I0I0III0I0I0I0II0 I0I0I000I000I0 I0I0I0I0I 0I0I0I0I0I0I I0I00I0III0I000I0 I0I000III0I0II00II0I0I I0I0II00 I0II00I 00I0 I0I000I0I00I0 I 0I0I0I0I0 I0II00III0I 0III0 00IIII0II00I0III0I0I000II0II0I00II00I I0I0I0I0I I0I0I0 0I0II0I000I0I0I0I0I0 I0I00IIII00I00I0 I0I00I0I0I0II00I0I 00I00I0 0I0I0I0 0I00I00I0I 0I0I0I0 I0I00I0I0I0I0I 0I 00I0I0I0 I00I0 II0 0I0I0I00I 0I0I00I0 0I0II000I0I00I0 I0I000I 0I0I0 I0I000I 0IIII0 I0000I0I0I0I0I0I00I0I0I00I0I0I0I0I0” As the three cyborgs hum, or groan, or whatever the noise they make is called, a beam of light is born between them. The beam stretches up through the ceiling, reaching out to pierce the alien ship. “0I0I0II0II 0I0I00II00 0I0II0 III0I0I0I0I00II0 II0I0II000I0I0I0I0I0I0I 0I0I0I0 00I0I0II0I 0II00I0I0III0I0 000I0I0I0I0 00I0I0I00I0I0I00I 0I0I0I0I 0I0I0 0I0I00I0I0I00I0 0I0I0I0III0I0I0I0I0 00I0I00III0I0 I0I0I00II0I0I0III0 0II0 0I0I0 0I00I0I0I0 0I0I00I0I 00 0 0I00I0I0I0I 0 00I0I0I00I0I0I000II0I0I0 0 I0I00II0I 0 0I0I0I0I0 I0I0I0I0 0 I00I0I0I 0 0 I0I0I0 I0 0I0I0I0I0  0II0I0” Smoke begins to leak from behind Ilya’s eyes and the King reels back from the circle, the Leafs react quickly to close it. The beam shimmers but does not break. A howling storm shakes the building from the outside. The noise brings the other heroes to theirs knees (not Jake, but only because he’s still a snake so… no knees.) Only the Leafs cyborgs stay standing. The sound emanating from them gets louder. “0000III0I I0I II0I000I II0I0I 00I00I0II0II0 I0I00III 00III00I 00I0II0I0I I0I 0I0I0I0 II0I 0I0I000I0I I0I0I00 0III00I0I0 0I0I0I I0II0I 00I0I00I 00II0II0I 00I 0I0 0I 0I 0I0I 0I0I 0I00 I I0 0 0I 0I0I0 0!”

The beam vanishes. Silence fills the basement.

“Did we win?” Travis asks.

Jake veers back to human. “I think so? Nik?”

“We won.” Nikita says. “We won.”

A magical portal appears in the center of the room and Garret Sparks, The Toronto Maple Leaf back up mage, steps out of it. “Don’t worry guys, None of the alien robots outside can get past my spell. ‘Branders Bountiful Barrier’, not that any of you asked. Seriously, you could have warned me before you called the whole army down on your heads. Oh well.”

“Thanks for saving us Garret.” Jake says after peeking outside.