Maple Leafs Woes: Don Cherry Lies to Leaf Nation

He told me it would be ok.

He said that Boston would get their retribution over Washington after the Capitals destroyed the Bruins 10-2.

Then he commended the job that Paul Maurice did, acknowledging the fact that he played his third and fourth liners' in the midst of a blowout against those same Bruins, and stated that "the Hockey Gods smile on things like that".

You lied to me Don Cherry. You lied.

If the Hockey Gods were really smiling on this Maple Leafs team, then why did they lose to the New Jersey Devils?

If the Hockey Gods were really smiling on this Maple Leafs team, then at least the Philadelphia Flyers would have lost too right? That way the Leafs would have only trailed by six points, still in the race for eighth.

Either the Hockey Gods like to play some really cruel jokes before the real redemption starts, or they simply don't like Toronto.

How else can you explain Martin Brodeur, the Guardian Angel of the New Jersey Devils, preventing the "rapture"? And how exactly the Philadelphia Flyers prevail over Satan himself (Miroslav Satan that is) to extend their lead over the Blue and White in the battle for eighth?

The only thing the Hockey Gods did for Toronto last night? Mats Sundin scored a goal. Pretty spectacular eh?

Side note: Can we just pause for a second to identify something that weirds me out? Satan lost, but the Devils won. Isn't that just weird? I mean, I can't see a situation like this playing out in any anywhere else unless Graham Godfrey were to win on the same day that David DeJesus got hit in the head by a pitch. What if Godrey HIT DeJesus? Is anyone else getting creeped out by this? That thought alone is probably sending me to hell.

You may have noticed something in the previous few paragraphs. Something I've avoided saying the past few weeks, something I've tried to avoid thinking, something I find downright despicable but can't help myself from believing.

I think the Maple Leafs have a shot. I seriously do.

The crazy thing? I can't explain why I think this. You could make the argument that they try and trick us into believing at the end of every season, and then break our hearts. You could also make the argument that I'd rather see them lose in the first round of the playoffs then end up with the 12th overall draft pick again.

You could even make the argument that I want them to finish with more points than the Phoenix Coyotes so I don't lose the bet I have going with my buddy Will.

Hell, maybe I've just been brainwashed by the Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, and New York Giants into believing that underdogs have a chance.

And maybe this underdog does have a chance. I mean, if they were to win the following two games against the Philadelphia Flyers, then they're only four points back of eighth.

Sure they Flyers have a game at hand, but there's always that small iota of hope that they won't win or lose in overtime or a shootout. 

Is that so hard to believe? 

With a little divine intervention it might even work too.

Maybe what Don Cherry preaches will eventually come true.

But hey, if it doesn't we can always trade that draft pick for a goalie and bad contract right?

Because that's just what happens in Toronto.