Toronto Maple Leafs Make Us Wait for Playoffs
The Toronto Maple Leafs let another opportunity to clinch a spot in the post-season pass them by last night.
The fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs are fragile and skittish after 14-odd years and a single (disastrous) playoff appearance. To make matters worse, this is a team that has blown about 15 post-second period leads this season, in a league where that just doesn’t happen.
Now, that can be, and almost certainly is, just bad luck – but it adds to the anxiety. Going back to Monday afternoon, the Leafs needed to get zero points in four games (they’ve been averaging about five all year, over that span) and their opponents had to run the table.
It seemed a near certainty that they would make it.
And it still pretty much is.
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Even if the Leafs fail to win their next two games, there is still a good chance they make it. Of course, that will trigger a series that will be an almost guaranteed loss to the Capitals, but it’s better than nothing.
The most likely scenario is that the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Babcock at the helm and a team that is way better than their record or precarious playoff position would seem to indicate, win on Saturday night against a Penguins team that is pretty banged up and has no reason to risk getting more banged up entering the Playoffs.
The anxiety may be almost visible among fans of the team, but it’s unwarranted.
Toronto Maple Leafs Will be Playing Next Week
I mean, let’s not count out the impossible, but the odds are neither Tampa or the Islanders win their remaining games.
The odds are, the Leafs win both of them. I just don’t see either Pittsburgh or Columbus as being capable of playing in a game-seven atmosphere (which is what it is for the Leafs) while they know they have to play each other next week.
The odds are, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be opening the second season next week against the Senators.
And if they don’t, well, they still were way better in Matthews first season than the teams that had Crosby, Ovechkin or McDavid.
Yeah, we’re getting our hopes up pretty high for year-one of the post-rebuild….but it’s fun. It’s what sports are for. I don’t understand people who try to maintain an even keel – why limit the fun? If they lose, they lose. We can put a positive spin on it then, if we have to.
But for now? Enjoy Saturday night, we get a free playoff game out of the deal, when otherwise it would have just been a boring exhibition game.
That’s something!