Tomorrow's Headlines Today
Well, the last couple days have seen frenzied yipping from the mitten-stringers in the Toronto sportswriting shortbus. I simply don't have the space to link them all here individually, but a quick trip over to tmlfans.ca gives you the entire gamut of hysteria, from Cox's well-honed cynicism, to Shoalts usual chuckles, (which to his credit, actually attempts to diagnose the Leafs's problems by analyzing -gasp- what's happening on the ice, rather than flailing about at Brylcreem Jr or the fanbase). Not to be outdone, Simmons and Bruce Arthur at the National Post (I believe that is our first mention of the Daily Tubby, BTW. Until now we've done what all Canadians do - ignore it) have taken stock and concluded that the Leafs are done not only for this season, but for years into the future.
Mr Jorn has done an admirable job pointing out the idiocy of this blinkered view, so I won't belabor the point. However, permit me to second his observation that a stage in the season where Paul Stastny is second in points, Sidney Crosby goalless, Nik Antropov the NHL plus-minus leader (hell, Nik Antropov healthy) while Roberto Luongo straggles along with a Mark LaForest-like 4.22 GAA, is not a stage in which we can draw any definite conclusions about the quality of NHL clubs. Well, Phoenix definitely sucks.
All of this is an overlong way of introducing the delicious dilemma facing Toronto sportsmaroons tonight. Having already written off the entire Leafs season based on the 7-1 drubbing by the Carolina Carpetbaggers, how do they spin the new shit that has come to light, namely the Leafs hammering of the Islanders 8-1. I wish I could go to bed comfortable in the knowledge that the collective backpedaling would exert sufficient gravitational force to move the GTA somewhere outside of Sudbury, but I know that's just not how we get down in the 416.
Like any good Stalinist, they know any troubling or inconvenient information, whether widespread famines in Georgia or Andrew Raycroft stopping 30 of 31 shots must somehow be shoehorned into the Master Narrative. So tonight I'm gonna go out on a limb and get all Early Edition on you. These are tomorrow's talking points.... RIGHT NOW:
"Leafs maybe not as bad as they looked against Carolina, but certainly not as good as they looked last night"
"Goaltending controversy resurfaces"
"Big night for offence, but why didn't Blake score against former mates?"
"Sundin alltime goals and points leader, still not as good as Steve Shutt or Stephane Richer"
"My cat's breath smells like cat food"
(Note: last two are Simmons-only)
If one of the big guns admits they may have been a little hasty and hysterical the last couple days, I'll definitely post a mea culpa here. But I'm feeling confident enough to suggest you skip buying your rag of choice tomorrow and treat yourself to a Coffee Crisp. If you've made it this far, you've definitely earned it.
Mr Jorn has done an admirable job pointing out the idiocy of this blinkered view, so I won't belabor the point. However, permit me to second his observation that a stage in the season where Paul Stastny is second in points, Sidney Crosby goalless, Nik Antropov the NHL plus-minus leader (hell, Nik Antropov healthy) while Roberto Luongo straggles along with a Mark LaForest-like 4.22 GAA, is not a stage in which we can draw any definite conclusions about the quality of NHL clubs. Well, Phoenix definitely sucks.
All of this is an overlong way of introducing the delicious dilemma facing Toronto sportsmaroons tonight. Having already written off the entire Leafs season based on the 7-1 drubbing by the Carolina Carpetbaggers, how do they spin the new shit that has come to light, namely the Leafs hammering of the Islanders 8-1. I wish I could go to bed comfortable in the knowledge that the collective backpedaling would exert sufficient gravitational force to move the GTA somewhere outside of Sudbury, but I know that's just not how we get down in the 416.
Like any good Stalinist, they know any troubling or inconvenient information, whether widespread famines in Georgia or Andrew Raycroft stopping 30 of 31 shots must somehow be shoehorned into the Master Narrative. So tonight I'm gonna go out on a limb and get all Early Edition on you. These are tomorrow's talking points.... RIGHT NOW:
"Leafs maybe not as bad as they looked against Carolina, but certainly not as good as they looked last night"
"Goaltending controversy resurfaces"
"Big night for offence, but why didn't Blake score against former mates?"
"Sundin alltime goals and points leader, still not as good as Steve Shutt or Stephane Richer"
"My cat's breath smells like cat food"
(Note: last two are Simmons-only)
If one of the big guns admits they may have been a little hasty and hysterical the last couple days, I'll definitely post a mea culpa here. But I'm feeling confident enough to suggest you skip buying your rag of choice tomorrow and treat yourself to a Coffee Crisp. If you've made it this far, you've definitely earned it.
todd
leafs slow defense reminds me of the days of no skill gil
trees