Toronto Maple Leafs Identity Should Be the Team that Never Quits

The Toronto Maple Leafs were so close.

With a win against Tampa (which they were screwed out of in game six, a game they win 99% of the time when its called fairly) the Toronto Maple Leafs would have completely changed their reputation.

All those come-from-behind games to force overtime against Columbus ( 1 x 3 goals) Montreal ( 2 x 2 goals) and Tampa (1 x 2 goals) would have, with a single series victory, established the Leafs as a never-quit, never-say-die group of maniacs who never give in to defeat.

Now, that obviously didn’t happen (again, due to several botched calls in Game Six) but the Leafs are still a team that never quits, and that is why I am (yet again) ready to strap in and follow the (nearly) exact same team through another nine months of potential glory and likely disappointment.

The Irony of the Toronto Maple Leafs

The irony of the Toronto Maple Leafs is that despite being a skill-oriented team, they grind every game and never quit on any score.

Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan are showing us that the same attitude prevails in the front office.  Sure, most “experts” say they should give it up, but they believe in their vision and they won’t quit tweaking it until they win or are shown the door.

The Leafs were run by the media, by proxy, from the late 1960s to the day before they hired Brendan Shanahan.  The main reason the media (and by extension the portion of the fanbase that needs their opinions spoon-fed to them from the likes of Cox  and Simmons) hates this iteration of the team is because its the first one that ever ignored their wishes.

As much as change goes with losing like butter on rice, the Leafs are determined to stick to their process, which is clearly working despite the randomness of the NHL Playoffs  (they finished fourth overall and outperformed their 27th ranked goaltending , which means that, despite random results, they are likely the NHL’s actual best team).

This won’t be popular, because eating your vegetables never is.  The Leafs fans may want to eat ice cream for dinner, but for once, the team’s management actually knows what’s good for them.

The irony of the Toronto Maple Leafs is that by never quitting on their vision, the team is showing the determination that makes people fall in love with unskilled third-line grinders.

I personally would not trade these six years of losing, with these specific players, and this roster, for one lucky run like the Canadiens have.  Sure, they won three rounds and the Leafs won zero, but I would much rather have a top team that is unlucky than a crap team that has one good, completely random season.

The Leafs Going Forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs could already have won the Stanley Cup with the rosters they played.  They could have won by doing nothing differently, they just didn’t.  But I firmly believe in this core, and in this management.

I think that we’re very lucky that the MLSE board was convinced not to fire everyone on a whim and bring in a bunch of old-school hacks who wouldn’t do anything better.  Trust the process, and respect that the Leafs run their team like a third line grinder whose NHL job is based solely on effort and not talent.

I may not enjoy the losing, but I respect the hell out of the classy, dignified, never-quit way this team operates.  Dubas is the ultimate players GM and the Leafs are the ultimate players organization.  Plus, the way they spit in the eye of the NHL establishment at every turn makes them the most badass team ever.

Personally, I wonder about everyone who wants to quit as soon as things get tough.  Oh the Leafs didn’t win?  Do you want to fire everyone and cry about it, or do you want to get up, dust yourself off and keep coming.

Myself, I am proud to cheer for a team that conducts themselves like the Toronto Maple Leafs, and I can’t say enough positive things about ownership for being smart enough to stick with the plan – the one that is working.