As Paul Maurice scanned the classifieds this morning, Leaf nation awoke to the sad reality that for the third straight year, their beloved team will miss the big dance.
Going into last night's game against Boston, the Leafs' hopes were already on life support.
Even after a controversial go-ahead goal in the third, the Bruins kept pressing and finally pulled the plug on Toronto's chances in the postseason.
The return of captain Mats Sundin and Nick Antropov did little to spark a team still mourning their loss to Boston days earlier.
After last night's loss, interim GM Cliff Fletcher provided the media with the usual sound bites, promising that they are determined to bring this team to the next level.
If I were a Leaf fan, I wouldn't be holding my breath.
McCabe offered some unintelligible excuse for the Leafs performance this season. With his time off in the following weeks, he could try and audition for the Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? show, but, somehow, I don't think he'd make it.
Mats Sundin's future with the club remains up in the air. He's adopted a wait-and-see attitude, and will reevaluate his situation later this summer.
As for Paul Maurice, I hear Home Depot's hiring.
Comments (10) Add a comment »
from about 1 month ago
this is a great article man. in no way am i a leafs fan other than the fact that they play hockey. it would have been nice to see them make it only because the odds were really against them. underdog stories, especially in sports are always great. i am the same way with hockey though. my dad, also a soccer fan, tried for years to get me into the sport, which i did, but i started watching the wings in 96. great year to start enjoying the greatest sport known to man. since then the obsession has grown. back to the point though, the leafs need to do something. obviously what theyve been doing isnt working, so whats the deal? lets see montreal and detroit battle for the cup.
from about 1 month ago
thanks Travis...as far as the Leafs go, I'd hate to be a fan or even a player...very frustrating these days when the organization doesn't really care about winning or losing... they're the highest earning team in the league, so where's the motivation?
As per my Habs, it would be sweet but scary to see them duke it out with the Red Wings at the big show down but one never knows how the playoffs will go....injuries, penalties, bad bounces can all spell disaster even for the best competitor
kep our fingers crossed though
take it easy
from about 1 month ago
thanks Travis...as far as the Leafs go, I'd hate to be a fan or even a player...very frustrating these days when the organization doesn't really care about winning or losing... they're the highest earning team in the league, so where's the motivation?
As per my Habs, it would be sweet but scary to see them duke it out with the Red Wings at the big show down but one never knows how the playoffs will go....injuries, penalties, bad bounces can all spell disaster even for the best competitor
kep our fingers crossed though
take it easy
from about 1 month ago
thanks Travis...as far as the Leafs go, I'd hate to be a fan or even a player...very frustrating these days when the organization doesn't really care about winning or losing... they're the highest earning team in the league, so where's the motivation?
As per my Habs, it would be sweet but scary to see them duke it out with the Red Wings at the big show down but one never knows how the playoffs will go....injuries, penalties, bad bounces can all spell disaster even for the best competitor
kep our fingers crossed though
take it easy
from about 1 month ago
Very good article. This is good closure for Leafs' fans, knowing a week before the end of the regular season that we won't make it. It's almost a little easier than having a heart attack every time we need to watch other teams play and have things go right for us.
I'm not sure Maurice will be fired though. I hope he gets another shot with a team built by an intelligent hockey man, something he hasn't had in his time in Toronto thus far. A one year extension will suffice, and if he still can't get the job done, then he should be sent to Home Depot.
from about 1 month ago
Matthew, Maurice is done, and while I do like him and think he's a great guy, the results haven't been there. I think he's coached in the NHL for 10 years, and has taken his teams to the playoffs 3 times. that ain't good enough.
from about 1 month ago
can i give the wake at the funeral?
from about 1 month ago
you mean the eulogy? sure
from about 1 month ago
OFFSIDE
from about 1 month ago
lol
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