The Toronto Leafs are on vacation. Still. Does this sadden me? Not at all. In fact, it makes me happy. A lot. There is something comforting for the finished idealist that I am to see the paper giant fall. Toronto is the great metropolis of Canada. All the gold of the country lodges at the address of the Queen City. But sometimes, all the gold in the world can’t buy a round…
The Leafs have been 0 and 10 since 2004 when they can knock out an opponent. Five times in two seasons, against the Lightning and CH a year ago. Not a single playoff round won since 2004. I like to recall the organization’s last Stanley Cup…in 1967. That was 55 years ago.
Between 1968 and 1993, the Canadian won the cup 10 times in 26 occasions. The Leafs never. It was abundant.
Maurice had given wings to the people of Quebec. The Quiet Revolution had allowed the birth of a popular belief in our capacity for self-determination.
There was the Expo and then the Expos. There were the Olympics. Then there was Guy! Guy! Guy! and Gilles Villeneuve. And the Canadian won. All the time. Under the banner of Montreal, metropolis of greater Canada. Like politics.
Alas! there was also René Lévesque’s PQ. Alas, since too strong, the ROC had to make sure to crush Quebec just enough to win back its (little) people through fear campaigns.
It worked. Quietly, the movement dried up. There was indeed the remarkable push of Lucien Bouchard and Jacques Parizeau in 1995, but since then nothing. Why am I telling you all of this ? Because the Canadian, like Quebec, no longer wins the championship. Except that Toronto, which wins in the bank every day, does not win on the ice either. It comforts me a bit…
Ordinary Coach and GM
I have nothing personal against any Leafs. Sheldon Keefe is a very ordinary coach. Hey, he leaves Jason Spezza in the stands the first two games of the series, and he leaves him on the ice the last two minutes of the series? Hello ?
Kyle Dubas is a very ordinary GM. If William Nylander was a goalkeeper, Dubas would be a genius. Except that by foolishly licking his boots during his contract negotiations, he had no idea that Matthews and Marner would be salivating with ease a year later.
Result: the money that would have allowed the Leafs to have a guard capable of beating Tampa, is Nylander who pockets it.
The Lightning will be kicked in the ass by the Florida Panthers. Nothing to do with the quality of the club of Jon Cooper or Julien BriseBois. Everything to do with wear. Tampa was in front of Toronto saying, “Beat us let’s go rest.” And again, the Leafs crumbled miserably. They are pathetically bad.
Ask me if I like it!
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