The Narratives that surround the Toronto Maple Leafs are always the worst.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have the deepest team in the NHL, their record, considering the coaching change and the injuries, is insanely good. They have the single best salary cap situation in hockey.
But don’t tell that to anyone with a job at a major newspaper or radio or TV station.
The Leafs are soft, they spent too much money on too few players, can’t play defense, they have no heart, and no jam (their preservative game is terrible) and you just can’t win in the NHL with this type of team.
Oh and their GM is a millennial intellectual and how dare he try out any new ideas.
I mean, literally every single one of these things is wrong, and does not stand up to the slightest scrutiny, but who cares? Subtle doesn’t sell. You don’t win friends with salad. (I.E statistics).
Despite all the talk, and all the yelling, the Toronto Maple Leafs just beat the team they are competing with for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic with five regulars out of the lineup, including half their blue-line.
It was a performance that showed more heart, character and determination than any other team in recent memory.
It suggested that, at full strength, this team is going to terrorize the league.
Toronto Maple Leafs Get It Done
Leadership, heart, determination and character. These things were either on full display in last night’s win, or they simply don’t exist.
You can’t have it both ways.
If losing to the Carolina Hurricanes and their emergency goalie on Saturday caused anyone to make sweeping generalizations about this team (I’m looking at you, Craig Button), then beating the Penguins, Lightning and Panthers should show those same people that the Toronto Maple Leafs are in fact a great team.
You can’t have it both ways.
The Toronto Maple Leafs recently played the three best teams in the NHL + their chief rival for a playoff spot, and they came away with six of eight points, winning three out of four games.
In regulation.
Last night’s game made made Wendel Clark say he wished he played with so much heart.
An NHL team has no business winning any games with half their blueline gone, and two top six forwards missing.
But the Toronto Maple Leafs not only won, but they played a second period the likes of which is hardly seen in the NHL. They outchanced the Panthers 10-1 and had the puck nearly the entire period. It was pure dominance, and easily the best period of hockey this team played all year.
Full credit goes to Nylander – MR. CLUTCH – for yet another game winning goal. As well to Zach Hyman who had one hell of a game as well.
Andersen was garbage in the first, and didn’t even need to show up for the second, but full credit to him for getting it done in the third.
This team is going to win dominate the league when they get healthy. I don’t think it’s overselling it to say that last night was one of the greatest displays of character and heart in the history of the National Hockey League.
And if not, my praise is at least in proper proportion to the ridiculous analysis that followed last Saturday’s game.