There’s a moment in the documentary leading to the Centennial Classic where we get a sneak peak at Leafs coach Mike Babcock and the mindset he’s instilling in his overachieving young team.

Cameras in the Argos’ BMO Field dressing room that was taken over by the Leafs for the weekend captured the renowned Babcock intensity on full display.

“These games, these fun games, just like in the playoffs … all you’ve got to do is your simple part,” Babcock tells the troops before heading to the ice to face the Detroit Red Wings. “Do your simple part and you’re great together.”

Yes, the man said “playoffs.” And yes, he said it to a group of players in Maple Leafs uniform.

An outdoor classic has nowhere near the stakes of a contest in the Stanley Cup tournament, of course, but recognizing and responding to the big-game feel is part of the Babcock text book.

The more learning opportunities the better, for a coach widely acknowledged as one of the best in the game. So even if the Leafs are nowhere near deep nor experienced enough to challenge for a title yet, grinding their way into the tournament can only be seen as a positive.

With that in mind, why not now?

Management isn’t planning to abandon the patient rebuild just for a handful of playoff-revenue dates. Brendan Shanahan and Lou Lamoriello aren’t about to deal young prospects for veterans to make the push, either.

And here’s the beauty of it — the culture of the reconstruction is so firmly rooted now, that if the Leafs do manage to grab a spot, expectations will be minimal.

First things first: There is a tendency in this market, both from the media and the fan base, to succumb to hyperbole if the Leafs have even the briefest taste of success. The six-game winning streak that ended last Friday in Washington certainly brought the playoffs into play and, with it, predictable excitement.

An emotional 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday at the Air Canada Centre slipped the Leafs back out of the playoff spot they held for less than 24 hours. And with the team on a five-day bye week, the standings will become skewed by the time they return to action on Friday in New York, when the Leafs will hold multiple games in hand on all of the teams they are chasing.

Acknowledging that there are roadblocks in the way, the outside chance at regression and a torrid schedule ahead, let’s look at the reasons why talkin’ playoffs in Toronto in early January isn’t as far-fetched as dreaming of a week on the beach.

YOUTH IS SERVED

Yes, expectations were significant for rookie Auston Matthews and, to a lesser extent, fellow NHL freshman Mitch Marner entering this season. But both have exceeded them — and then some.

Both were impact players less than 10 games into their NHL careers and both continue to improve almost nightly. Most importantly, each has shown dominant offensive moves that even seasoned NHLers are unable to contain at times.

And it gets better. Most nights, the Leafs have as many as eight rookies in the lineup and, to varying degrees, each have had their impressive moments. William Nylander is a setup machine on the power play, Connor Brown and Zach Hyman are effective linemates for Matthews and Nikita Zaitsev continues to evolve into a top-four defenceman.

More than once this season, Babcock has said it is the rookies who are driving this team. He’s right.

And the more meaningful games they play, the more equipped they will be to handle the bigger moments that everyone in the Leafs organization believe await in future seasons.

Leafs management deserves serious credit for the way the youngsters have been instilled with a winning mindset from the start of their NHL careers while also benefitting from among the best off-ice support in the league. And the fact that they are adapting and thriving so early in their careers is ample reason to adjust the timeline.

TEACHER, TEACHER

Clearly reinvigorated by the task at hand in Toronto, Babcock lives for teachable moments. Spend enough time around Leafs practice and you see it on a daily basis.

One of the most driven coaches in the game, Babcock is determined to see his young players develop. It’s part of the reason his Zach Hyman-Auston Matthews-Connor Brown all-rookie line may be the best on the team. It’s also why he had Matthews on the ice for the final minute of the Centennial Classic with the Leafs nursing a one-goal lead and Red Wings veteran Henrik Zetterberg on the other side of the faceoff dot.

That didn’t work out so well, with the late Red Wings equalizer, but Matthews bounced back with the game-winner in overtime — and you can bet a helpful video session from the coaching staff post-game.

The biggest thing Babcock wants to teach the Leafs, however, is how to win. A taste of the playoffs this spring, even if it’s just one round, will pay big dividends in the future and provide all sorts of material for his coaching curriculum.

WHY WAIT?

While we’re not suggesting major changes around the trade deadline to improve the prospect, what’s the point in not doing everything possible to get the current group to the playoffs now?

Based on the record they’ve built so far (44 points in 39 games and on pace for 92) and the fact they’re in a weak Atlantic Division, it’s certainly well within reach.

Stockpiling the shelves with high-end prospects is a wise strategy, ultimately aimed at sustained, long-term success. Led by the savvy eye of assistant general manager Mark Hunter, the Leafs are well on their way.

But how many times have you heard Babcock say the goal is to be a playoff team every spring and a serious contender in most of them?

The Edmonton Oilers felt they were on that path after a series of top picks, but potential didn’t translate into enough wins. If that goes on for too long, frustration can be a disruptive force.

Sure, the Leafs make their share of mistakes and they’ve let some games get away. But there’s also strong chemistry, with the young players bringing new life to the veterans and those older players helping to mentor the kids.

Overall, there’s a winning culture borne in part because of the belief that the rebuild is for real. If playing and having success in tough games in March and early April lead to a post-season berth, the reward would be worthy.

VETERAN PRESENCE

If they hadn’t suffered through so many miserable seasons with little hope, players such as Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak might feel chafed at all the attention being heaped on their young teammates.

The opposite, it would appear, is happening.

Those three and others such as defencemen Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner can also see the fruits of the rebuild and are motivated to remain a part of it when the team does become a contender.

Kadri has 16 goals in 39 games and, as long as he remains healthy, will destroy his previous season high of 20. Furthermore, the defensive groundwork Babcock drilled in him last season continues to take root.

Van Riemsdyk is on pace for 29 goals, one shy of his career best, but also 69 points, which would easily be his most productive season. On a line with Bozak and Marner, van Riemsdyk is benefitting from the creativity and space created by the latter and the reliability of the former.

For most of the longer-term veterans with the Leafs, their only playoff memory is of the miserable collapse in Boston in 2013. Understandably, they’re all anxious for another taste.

ROAD BLOCKS

It would be a remarkable turnaround to go from 30th (and last) overall to being a part of the Eastern Conference playoffs — and it’s not an easy turnaround.

(OK, it’s a little easier when 30th was accomplished in part because of a tank job, but we digress.)

There are certainly obstacles in the Leafs’ way, of course, starting with the compacted schedule once the bye week is done. Will a team full of young players hit a wall? Will the time and space Matthews and Marner have been able to carve for themselves become limited when the texture and tenacity of games change during a playoff push?

There are also issues on the Leafs blue line, the weak link so far and one opponents are anxious to exploit. And don’t forget the frustrating inability to close out games they are leading. But be sure of one thing: Babcock wants them to find out — and the sooner the better.

“At playoff time in the NHL, you’re up one or down one,” Babcock said recently. “It’s the same every night. You’ve got to love the duress. You’ve got to love the grind. You’ve got to love digging in and knowing you’re going to get it done.”

KIDS LEADING THE WAY

The Leafs knew they were going to get production from their rookies this season, but who could have envisioned the freshmen leading the team into playoff contention?

Through 39 games, first-year players have combined for a whopping 151 points (57 goals and 94 assists), easily the most from rookies in the NHL.

And included in that total are several superlatives:

*Centre Auston Matthews leads all Leafs in goals (21) and points (35). The 21 goals are more than any Toronto player scored last season and are tied for third in the NHL.

*Winger Mitch Marner had three assists on Saturday to give him 22 on the season, the most among rookies, and has 12 points in his past 11 games.

*William Nylander leads the Leafs and all NHL rookies with 15 power-play points.

*Defenceman Nikita Zaitsev leads all NHL rookies in ice time, averaging 22 minutes and 40 seconds per game.

COMPETITIVE JUICES FLOWING

With so many more positive signs than in his first season as Leafs coach, the competitiveness in coach Mike Babcock is becoming more apparent.

Rebuilding is one thing, and Babcock has bought in to the long-term view of Leafs management. But winning and improving significantly right away is more suited to his character.

“The competitive people get better and better,” Babcock said recently when asked if the Leafs’ recent run of success has accelerated his expectations. “The noncompetitive people have got to find some place else to play. That’s just what happens in the good programs.

“So we’re finding players every day as we watch them grow. We have aspirations to be a very good team in the NHL, one that in the summer you know can make the playoffs.”

Babcock acknowledged the obvious — that the Leafs aren’t there yet, but well on the way.

“We’re a work in progress,” the coach said. “We like the direction we’re going.”

rlongley@postmedia.com

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