Ian White says it's ridiculous, he's right. Ron Wilson says the team needs to be more discipline, he's right. The overtime winner last night came on a Bolts powerplay, courtesy of too many men on the ice. However, 1-10 surely couldn't be blamed solely on discipline. Maybe it was the rotten ice conditions in Tampa last night? What were the Leafs eating for a pre-game meal? Anyone care to take a guess why this almost unspeakable record is actually, against all proper logic, becoming worse?
It's evident that the overtime period is a reflection of team skill. And quite frankly, outside of 81, the Buddies fail to show any elite scoring potential. Tell us something we don't know right?
To say that Leafs fans wish to cheer for something meaningful in the post-season is an understatement. But to qualify for the playoffs is one thing, and compete for the Stanley Cup is something else. Just ask Calgary Flames fans, they've seen their team lose every year in the post-season for the past five years. Canucks fans are equally as frustrated as they've seen their Stanley Cup hopes fly out the window, usually within two rounds. Mind you, these teams could mount some sort of miracle once they're in the post-season tournament in the spring. But to pick mid-season Stanley Cup favorites this year usually yields names like Chicago, Washington and San Jose. Of course your top three picks might be different, but I'll use these for now.
Brian Burke's goal is to win a Stanley Cup. He wants a contender. He wants a team that's at the top of the heap. So to look at these three elite clubs I've listed, they all hold a common bond. Which is superstar scoring spread somewhere throughout the roster. What does this have to do with the Leafs overtime susceptibility? Well..
It's overtime, four-on-four, and we'll say (hypothetically) that the Leafs decide to go with Tyler Bozak and Kessel, along with Beauch and Kaberle on the back end. Not to shabby eh? Then the second string could look a bit like Poni and Stajan, with White and perhaps Luke Schenn.
Okay, so that's taken care of for now.
Now, let's look at the Blackhawks. You might say “Why the Blackhawks? That's setting the bar a bit too high.” Which is a sound point. But when Toronto is the hockey mecca, how can the bar be set too high? When you see a trillion people walking around with Leafs jerseys on (I own two, myself), and tickets at the ACC going for completely outlandish prices, why would Stanley Cup contention seem too much to ask? It takes time, so we can all leave that alone for a while.
So the Blackhawks need to come up with four players to match our mighty tandem. They could come out with Kane and Toews, with Keith and Seabrook. In case you didn't notice, that's four Olympians. Keep in mind, they still have Hossa, Sharp, Campbell, and Barker waiting on the bench. See where I'm coming from?
These teams can mix and match all kinds of skill. Boyle, Heatley, Marleau and Thornton anyone? Green, Ovie, Semin and Backstrom? Nothing but pure elite talent. Upon looking at these clubs and what they can throw on the ice in the extra frame shows precisely why the Leafs record is so dismal in the extra period and shootout. It's really not that mind-boggling, and it definitely has nothing to do with luck.
The Maple Leafs are in action against the Panthers tomorrow night before returning home for the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Let's all hope that overtime doesn't show its ugly mug.
