Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke can sleep soundly. His widely publicized trades on Sunday saw his team acquire goalie J.S. Giguere, defenseman Dion Phaneuf, and forward Fredrik Sjostrom. All three players made their Leafs debut on Tuesday night, and each contributed in their own way to a 3-0 Leafs shutout victory against the slumping New Jersey Devils. Fans were excited by the trade announcements, and with introductions out of the way, both on and off the ice, it’s back to business for the Maple Leafs organization.

Yes, it’s far too early to say whether or not Phaneuf and Giguere are pieces of the long-term puzzle, but if nothing else, Tuesday’s 3-0 win is definitely a sign of good things to come. But perhaps the most encouraging sign were the fans. The crowd at the ACC were making noise, cheering for the new players, erupting after goals, and giving a standing ovation for the Leafs’ first shutout since Jan. 14. With their new players, the Leafs hope to climb the standings at least to the point where the first round pick they gave up to get Phil Kessel won’t result in the number one pick going to Boston.

All three of Toronto’s new acquisitions did everything right. Phaneuf put in over 24 minutes in all situations, fought with Devils heavy-hitter Colin White, and went head-to-head against New Jersey’s top line, putting down any threat to his new netminder. Speaking of, Giguere, wearing his new Leaf jersey and old Ducks mask, stopped all 30 shots directed at him. He wasn’t challenged much throughout the night, showing glimpses of that expertly prepared, well-positioned goaltender that won the Stanley Cup in 2007. At the other end of the ice, Sjostrom played solid hockey, getting an assist on Nikolai Kulemin’s first period goal.

Perhaps it was part of the fairy tale, perhaps part of the hometown bias, but the three stars selection for the game went, from three to one, Sjostrom, Phaneuf, and Giguere. In a fickle city like Toronto, where for fans if you’re not good right away, you’re not ever going to be, their three new stars are off on the right foot. For Burke, that foot has just taken the next step towards the future.