Well, here we are again. Sorry I’m a little bit late on this one. I watched game 7 with my mother Monday night (Who has been a huge leaf fan her whole life) and I’m quite pissed. They absolutely choked. They led the series 3-1. I’m genuinely in shock that they managed to blow it that badly. I even joked that if they choked that hard I was out for good. That’s a lie, of course. I’ll still be watching next year. But by Jove, this is becoming too much. The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs made it out of the first round of the playoffs was in 2004. 17 BLOODY YEARS AGO!
I don’t even know what to say at this point. Year after year it’s the same thing. You know the last time the Leafs won a cup was the year my mother was born? (something I never ever let her forget). I always have to watch them make the same mistakes, too. They never put any traffic in front of the opponent’s net, they don’t check players that come into their zone, and they DO NOT have any tough Enforcers anymore who can and will throw hands. The team has far too many fancy pants players, which can only bring you so far. When things get gritty they need gritty players to put some fear into the other team’s Forwards. I’m telling you that changes the whole flow of the game. But no. They refuse to hit, year after year, and they are mostly pushovers. They need another Wendel Clark or Tie Domi. They’ve become too soft, and they will continue to pay for it. The teams that always do the best in the NHL are the damn ones that are willing and able to get down and dirty. The Leafs just roll over and submit every time the other team starts to get aggressive with them, and then we all have to watch the pace and flow of the game change to be in the opponent’s favour. But whoever manages the team just refuses to see this weak spot.
I’ll still be there next year, praying that they get some tougher players. As much as I’m ranting, it’s just sad to see them fall like that when they were ahead. They just seemed to be cursed. They can’t get outta that first round to save their lives.