[Grizzly]

It sucks to have a team that's just middling. If you're at the top - well we all know what that's like, and if you're at the bottom at least you get a chance at some nifty draft picks. But mediocrity... well that hurts.<br><br>
And this isn't just a Habs fan crowing that the ancient nemesis is beat for another year (although there is a tad bit of smugness there that will vanish when the Habs lose in the second round).<br><br>
Two things though:<br><br>
Gawd I hope that the CBC gets the point. Out here for the "second" game we get to watch whatever game is more interesting amongst a choice of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary. But the first game? Toronto vs. the Oskosh Aardvarks and Harry Neal claiming that the Leafs are "Canada's Team" and that Toskala is the reincarnation of Vezina. This when we might see Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh or Montreal vs. Jersey. Basically the ONLY time we get to see Montreal out here is if the Leafs are playing them, or there's a special triple header.<br><br>
Second? Exorcize the ghost of Ballard. Gut the frigging team, trade for draft picks. Suck miserably next year and get some more. Rebuild from scratch. Spend some bucks on free agents. Don't rely forever on the fact that there's so many people in Toronto that you'll get the idiot factor to fill the seats for each game. The Toronto fans deserve more.<br><br>
There's nothing I'd like more than to have a REAL rivalry between the Habs and Toronto. Sadly, I think we'll be having this same situation until we can count to 50.

 

[willrun4chocolate]

So is it time to change my avatar yet?

 

[Hanging Jury]

Yes, it is time.<br><br>
HABS RULE!<br><br><img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif"><img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif"><img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif">

 

[willrun4chocolate]

oh, uhm, well.. ya see...when the leafs are out....that's probably not what I'll be changing it to. sorry....

 

[Grizzly]

With Belliveau as a relative you dare root for THAT team? <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif">

 

[willrun4chocolate]

I blame my dearly departed dad for my decisions in this regard.<br><br>
<<hijack: Grizz have you read King Leary yet? Can I send you my copy? I don't want it anymore>>

 

[jcumming]

I am one of the few people still alive on the planet who has seen the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup...and I saw it happen 4 times ...two of them live and in person when I was in my teens. We suspected that it would happen every 2 or 3 years, pretty much alternating with Montreal.<br><br>
It has been a wait.<br><br>
You can sell pretty much any Leaf ticket for anywhere from 2X to 5X face value. They are an iconic, storied franchise and I simply cannot believe the support they get when they play in any other Canadian city, particularly Montreal. (It's kind of the same when the Habs play in Toronto.<br><br>
Storied as they are...they truly do stink, but since I am one of the owners of the team and have been cheering for them for over 50 years I'm not likely soon to become an Atlanta Trashcan fan.<br><br>
As for the playoffs...I don't think I've watched more than half a dozen games in the past 4 years. I kind of lose interest when I have to choose between boating and swimming down at the lake or watching hockey. It would be nice to cheer for a team, but really I couldn't care less who wins.

 

[tigger]

Ahh! Back in the 60's things were pretty simple. Four teams made it and two didn't. Boston and New York always seemed to be the losers, while the other 4 teams prepared for post season play. Leafs and Habs would duke it out for hockey supremacy. Foster was king of the airwaves and we would sit around the radio listening to those final season games imagining ourselves speeding towards the opposing goalie and scoring the final goal to propel our favorite team into the playoffs.<br><br>
Then came expansion. Twelve teams to keep track of now. Too many teams and a shitty playoff format. Old teams agains new teams in the finals. The real playoffs were in the East semis, and not the finals. Seasons were longer now too. Hell, some playoff teams were still playing in APRIL!!!<br><br>
The '70's arrived with some exciting international hockey that seemed to revive my interest in the NHL. The USSR had some dynamite players who pushed our guys to their absolute limits before we finally prevailed in the nae of national pride and all that other stuff. The post Imlach Leafs sucked real bad but still managed to pack the gardens to see their new hero Henderson, who was never able to achieve the glory he gained in the summit series. Players came and went according to Harold Ballard's whims. Even Dave Keon left in disgust. Don Cherry developed his prototypical "chicken swede" when he proclaimed that Inge Hammerstrom could go into the corner with a carton of eggs and not break one of them. And the habs.....the wonderful marvellous habs....with Guy, Larry, Serge, Yvon and endless others.....well they were wonderful!<br><br>
The 80's? I don't remember them well, except for the Islanders 4 peat followed by Gretzky and the Oilers success. Again, international hockey series captured our hearts, and the NHL continued to add nameless faceless teams in cities where hockey was as popular as a mugging. And hockey was now being played well into MAY?<br><br>
The 90's? Not a good decade for the Leafs. They managed a few reasonable seasons...gave their fans some hope, but continued to disappoint when it was supposed to count. At least they got to play in May cause the playoffs weren't over until JUNE?<br><br>
Since the millenium? What else is new? Playoffs are ready to start and the Leafs are out. I'm kinda like JC, except my level of excitement begins to wane with the first preseason game. Nothing could approach that sense of excitement and anticipation of the first season game when the Leafs had just as much chance as anyone else. From there on it was all downhill.<br><br>
Speaking of downhill....There is good skiing in Smithers until early June. And I can still watch all of the semi final and final games because they won't finish until JULY!!

 

[willrun4chocolate]

Well, I will change my avatar when the season is really and truly over. <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif">

 

[Mrtambalynman]

When I was a wee lad the leafs had Daryl Sittler, Lanny MacDonald, Borje Salming and Dave "Tiger" Williams. There was only one team for a lad from the west to cheer for (well unless you were brainwashed by your mom).<br><br>
It had seemed that in the 90's and beyond the Leaf's and the Habs were racing each other to the bottom. Its nice to see the Habs riding some amazing goal tending to a respectable season. Still they'll have no hope in hell against the western finalist. The east has become a sad joke.