He got off to a great start and became the first Leaf goalie in franchise history to record a shutout in his debut when Toronto opened the season in Pittsburgh with a 6-0 win over the Penguins.

But Belfour then sputtered and his teammates didn't come to his rescue. Their continued poor play coupled with Belfour's inconsistency led to the boo birds taking their frustrations out on the Leafs' goalie.

Belfour posted a 2.52 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage in October, but since then, he has been on top of his game and his numbers have gone in the right direction. He had a 1.92 GAA and a .931 save percentage in November and followed that with a 1.79 GAA and a .936 save percentage in December. Through six games in January, he had a 2.35 GAA but an identical .936 save percentage.

Not surprisingly, those same boo birds are now chanting "Eddie, Eddie" at the Air Canada Centre as they cheer on their new hero.

Belfour's performance has silenced his critics, who pointed to his last season in Dallas as proof positive of his decline.

Calgary GM Craig Button was in Dallas during Belfour's days as a member of the Stars, and Button says the last thing people should do is doubt Belfour's resolve.

"Just tell Eddie he can't do something and he will prove you wrong. Just tell him something he can't do," says Button. "So he had one [bad] year. So he was 36. He is an unbelievably great competitor and he keeps himself in top shape."

Adds Toronto GM/coach Pat Quinn: "To say something like that and think he can pull rabbits out of the hat because you just say, 'No, you can't pull a rabbit out of the hat' is a bit naïve. But we have seen him perform so well that we know motivation for him comes from someone who says he is too old or something. And whether that happens or not, does not matter. What matters is you are motivated to try, and he's shown he has more to do in this League."

In pressure situations, the Maple Leafs are confident a veteran like Belfour will come up with the key save.

Quinn isn't surprised by Belfour's performance.

"You look at his career in the whole, no. If you look at it last year, maybe. Maybe you think he has been around a long time and he is tired and it is time to move on. But clearly he is not there and he has more to do."

Veteran Tom Fitzgerald has been around the NHL for a dozen years and he feels for his peers.

"I remember going into Dallas, and before that Chicago, thinking how will you get the puck past this guy. He is so sound and so great and he never gets rattled," he says about Belfour. "He is so calm. He is a Hall of Fame goalie in my eye. As an opponent you have to think and wonder how you get the puck past this guy."

It's obviously not easy.