We're Going To Need A Bigger Blog

I was optimistic about this Leafs team as the season began. As the cold weather began to set in I could be heard loudly crowing to my friends that this team would make the playoffs, and rather easily, at that. Once the usual doubts set in after a listless start, I pilloried the mitten-stringers for their hysteria, but pointed out here that we could be in for a bloodbath if things didn't improve.

Saturday night, I was out and about with my brother, as we went shopping to make up some Saturday night gourmet shit. Once we'd gotten back to his house with some veal shanks that, beyond being delicious, had more toughness and versatility than half the Leafs blueline I switched on the Toronto-Phoenix tilt, against my better judgement. I don't know why I was surprised, but I still did a double-take when I saw the score. Halfway through the second, down 5-1 to a team picked by some to be historically bad, I had a beer, a smoke, and a bout of deja vu.

In Quinn's last year behind the bench, the Leafs mounted a late surge to put themselves on the brink of the playoffs. It came down to a crucial home-and-home with Montreal. Watching Toronto get waxed in the second game, I took the time to savour the team I was watching. It was the end of an era, the end of a team that had come close, and given me a lot of joy, but never ended our bitter time in the wilderness.

Four years later, and I have that end of an era feeling again, but without the good memories. It's all over now, white and blue. Yes, the frenzy is swirling, and the Leafs and their fans are about to be plunged into another whirlpool of doubt, blame, recrimination, speculation, rumours, lies, and horseshit that one stop until a body or two comes out of the ACC and someone else walks in. Tonight, next week, next April, it's gonna happen. There's blood in the water.

I don't have much to say about the media coverage of the past couple days. The Star seems to be hinting MLSE will stay the course. The Sun, on the other hand, has Simmons saying Brylcreem Jr tried to can Maurice (who looked close to bawling after the Phoenix game - a stark reminder of what the pressures of pro sports must do to people) but wasn't allowed to, and JFJ denying it. It's a measure of something that I actually believe Simmons on this one. As Milhouse Van Houten once said, we're through the looking glass here, people. Peddie says the Leafs won't do anything. Vote of confidence or kiss of death? Everyone, everyone, is mooting possible successors: Yzerman, Bowman, Quinn, Burns, Messier, Francis, Glen Healy, Craig Button, Neil Smith. Hell, John Brophy could use a job.
Left with knowing, like Mr Jones, that something is happening but they don't know what it is, the locals have been flailing about throwing out names. Is there anything to it? I doubt it. If they had something, they'd narrow it down a little. Mirtle is opining that the Leafs are the most dysfunctional organization in hockey. Finally, something I can take to the bank.

I'm honestly at a loss here. Right now, we play the waiting game, which is much less fun than Hungry Hungry Hippos. We wait, and tot up the inevitable idiocy that will flow freely from the Toronto media. So, Constant Readers, what do you think? What do you want to see? When will the axe fall? What rumours have something, and what are just the sound of one hand typing? Where do the Leafs go from here? Unlike Cox or Simmons, I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers, except to say that this is a failed team, from Wozniewski all the way up to Peddie and Tanembaum. It needs changes at every level.

Montreal tomorrow night. The greatest rivalry in hockey. I'm almost hoping we lose, just to get it over with.
No matter what, this site is gonna have no shortage of material over the next few months.... "Come on down here and chum some of this shit."