Sometimes doing one little thing, just a bit better than anyone else, because you invested that much more time on that particular skillset or pattern, or because of the fact you approached it from a different angle, can make a world of difference. Some people call it the “tipping point,” like the reference to the metaphor contained within the title of Malcolm Gladwell’s best-selling book, “The Tipping Point,” and some people call it the “difference that makes a difference.”

The month of October continued the way September ended. The team had a month filled with 8 GTHL Games, 5 Super Series games in Chicago along with countless practices. It was a very busy month for our boys and families! The boys were continuing their fine play having that “NEVER GIVE UP/NEVE QUIT” attitude. It was not more evident than their play and games in October where the record was an incredible 7-1 with 4 shutouts.

The boys “brought it” each and every time their skates made contact with the ice. They knew that they had their teammates relying on them and of greater importance; they knew that they could rely on their teammates.

The first game against a new and much improved Toronto Titans team. The Titans came to play and they made no bones about it! They came out strong skating hard. Our “D” stepped up to protect our goalie and our forwards came through with 6 excellent goals. The game ended with a 6-0 victory.

The second game was another resounding victory when the Marlboros beat the Markham Majors 8-0! Each player took great responsibility in protecting their zone, back-checking aggressively and doing everything possible to protect the shut-out. Mission accomplished! Great goal scoring by our forwards; great “D;” and goaltending, all meshed together perfectly for a fantastic result.

The third game was indeed something to watch. Playing a charged Vaughn Kings team that is always prepared to play the Toronto Marlboros. The game was an interesting one where our boys were completely dominant in the first period having possession of the puck and carrying the play for the entire 12 minutes. Yet, the score was 0-0. We got into penalty trouble and before we knew it, the Toronto Marlboros were down by 2 goals at the end of the second period. The score was not at all reflective of our teams play. The third period personified the “NEVER GIVE UP/NEVER QUIT” attitude. The boys had another gear and scored 3 goals to secure a well earned 3-2 victory. This was a great comeback to a hard fought great game.

Game 4 was another resounding victory when the Marlboros beat the Don Mills Flyers 8-0! Again, each player took great responsibility in protecting their zone, back-checking aggressively and doing everything possible to protect the shut-out. Mission accomplished! Great goal scoring by our forwards; great “D;” and goaltending, all meshed together perfectly for a fantastic result.

Game 5, against the Toronto Junior Canadian was a solid game played by both teams. Marlies were relentless in the execution of their plays, making hard, crisp, accurate passes, while executing on the basics, in a manner representative of a much older, more seasoned, championship AAA team!
The Toronto Marlboros worked hard each and every shift to earn a 7-3 victory.

Game 6 was another barn burner against the great Mississauga Rebels team. Our boys got off to a slow start and ran into penalty trouble. Before we knew it, we were down 3-0 by the end of the second period. Did this stop our boys from making a game of it? Not a chance. The “NEVER GIVE UP/NEVER QUIT attitude again came out. The Toronto Marlboros scored 3 goals in the third period and made one heck of a comeback We fell short but not before some nail biting moments. Both teams showed great respect for each other with players complimenting and congratulating each other for a great game. This shows the true spirit of competition where players on both teams cannot wait to play one another. For this game, as for all games played by these 2 great teams, the stands were full of fans. The arena was electric. Kudos go out to both teams for putting on a great show! Managers Eddie and Warren, and of course, Head Coach Gialedakis. The manner, in which they seamlessly and synergistically interface, leaves each player free to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. That is teamwork! That is the basis of great possibility! That was September, and that was a winning month of “possibility realized!”

Game 7 was a “bounce back” resounding victory when the Marlboros defeated the North York Rangers the 8-0! Once again, each player took great responsibility in protecting their zone, back-checking aggressively and doing everything possible to protect the shut-out. Mission accomplished! Great goal scoring by our forwards; great “D;” and goaltending, all meshed together perfectly for a fantastic result.

Game 8 was a great game played by the Toronto Marlboros team. It ended in a 5-2 victory over the Mississauga Senators. The team played positional hockey the entire game. Scoring goals this game was not easy but the boys never gave up. They were absolutely relentless in their pursuit of the puck and were rewarded. Each and every player took responsibility in protecting their zone, back-checking aggressively and doing everything possible to seal the victory – and that they did!! In the end, all meshed together perfectly for a fantastic result.

For the month of October, the “difference that made the difference” was the fact that the culmination of all the good and great, attained through the August camp, and the successful string of rigorous practices and significant victories, somehow met with a “Tipping Point” that is actually quite difficult to pinpoint.

The good thing about identifying “Tipping Points” as the “Difference that makes a difference,” is the fact that, with time and reflection, they become obvious. With time, those differences can be replicated, and with time, as a result of duplicating those successful behaviours, the concept and realization of consistently winning can be duplicated. That is the objective. Winning is the mission.