Leaf Fans Have High Hopes: Beware, October Schedule Is Tough

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

With the opening night just hours away, for Leaf fans, expectations for the upcoming season are the highest they have been in recent memory.

The new additions Phil Kessel, Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, Jonas Gustavsson, Colton Orr, Garnet Exelby, Viktor Stalberg and possibly a few others, should be able to turn around the misfortunes of seasons past and, with a little luck, secure a playoff spot for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Like many Leaf fans, I expect a much improved effort from the Leafs and a lot more toughness.

That said, nothing Leafs general manager Brian Burke did in the off-season guarantees a reduction in goals against. Goaltender Vesa Tosakala has looked anything but sensational and it is his play, or the play of rookie Jonas Gustavsson, that will ultimately  be the deciding factor when it comes to the Leafs playoff aspirations.

So, what can we expect from our beloved Maple Leafs?

Well, for starters, don’t be surprised if the Leafs get off to a slow start. Looking at the Leafs schedule in October, the Leafs play a total of 12 games, five at Home, seven on the road.

The Leafs will encounter some stiff competition right off the bat with games against the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers to start the season.

Realistically, if the Leafs can come out of the first five games with a record of 3-2 they should be happy. Hopefully, the Leafs can pull out a win against the Canadiens and Senators, it would go far in making a case for a playoff spot.

You see, it is my opinion that only one of the Canadiens, Senators and the Leafs makes the playoffs this season, so the deciding factor will, in all likelihood, come down to head-to-head matchups. A quick start, at least head-to-head, will pay dividends down the road.

The next seven games include tilts against the Colorado Avalanche, Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Buffalo Sabres and the Canadiens. As you can see, there will be no “nights off” for the Leafs.

Outside of Ottawa, Dallas, Colorado and Buffalo, every one of the Leafs’ opponents were a playoff team in 2008-09 and Ottawa and Buffalo have had the Leafs’ number in the regular season for quite sometime.

Once again, a realistic, or perhaps even flattering record for the Leafs in October would be .500. Considering the tough competition the Leafs will encounter, expecting the Leafs to get off to a “hot start” is unrealistic and is exactly the kind of thinking that has the rest of the hockey world laughing at Leaf fans. So relax, even if the Leafs get off to a slow start, it’s “all good”, you know?

Conclusion?

Sure, we’d all love to see the Leafs go 9-3, Toskala gets three shut outs and Viktor Stalberg, Jason Blake and Lee Stempniak light up the scoreboard up every night. Here’s a news flash for you, that’s probably not going to happen!

Realistically, I suspect the Leafs will exit October with a record of 5-5-2, 4-6-2, or, in a best case scenario, 6-4-2.

The reality is the competition for a playoff spot will be fierce, there are no nights off, any team is capable of knocking off another on any given night, that is, after all, why we play the games, right?

The Leafs may not get off to the start we all want them to achieve, but you can expect a much more competitive bunch of players, who will be entertaining to watch and that are fully capable of making a push for a playoff spot.

It may be an uphill battle for the Leafs, but in the end, I suspect, the Leafs will be rewarded with a playoff spot, which, considering the roster we will be icing, is all we can ask for. Like I said, “relax, it’s all good”, you know?

By the way, to tell you my first game prediction: Leafs win 4-3!

Until next time,

Peace!