Well it's official: the leafs will end the 2009-2010 season in 29th place, very fittingly, since that is where they sat for almost the entire season. What was their brief HIGH point - 26th maybe? They have truly earned the right to their popular nickname of Canada's National Embarrassment - especially after tonight's game! Let's examine the details:
With only pride on the line, the leafs have now lost the last 3 games they have played. Their 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Rangers (who are not exactly Gretzky's Oilers!) was SO bad that even the battle-hardened TSN crew was shocked at their gutlessness and ineptitude. After the second period, Craig McTavish said "the leafs have to start playing with some pride." The expert panel of James Duthie, McTavish, Ray Ferraro and Bob McKenzie noted that the leaf defense was wretched, coughing up 16 boneheaded giveaways and scoring chances in the first and another eight in the second. With pride on the line, the leafs conclusively showed that they have NO pride (and why would they? They play for the leafs!)
Dion Phaneuf scored his first goal as a leaf (and his first in around 25 games - pathetic!). Needless to say, scoring your FIRST goal in a humiliating 5-1 loss is not exactly scoring when it counts! A totally MEANINGLESS and useless goal, but at least he did score, which is more than Invisible Man Phil Kessel could do!
Phaneuf played for two teams this year - and they BOTH missed the playoffs. Gee, does that make Phaneuf an MVP candidate? Uhh, maybe NOT - but maybe it DOES show why the great Steve Yzerman did NOT want Phaneuf on Canada's Olympic team! Good move Steve - if Dion had suited up for Canada, there's an excellent chance that the US would have taken home the gold!
The 29th place finish (ahead of only ex-leaf boss Pat Quinn's Oilers) makes it very likely that the ill-fated Kessel trade, already voted one of the worst of the year by hockey experts in a recent poll, will give a superstar to the Bruins...while the leafs remain saddled with the Invisible Man.
The TSN guys also pointed out a VERY interesting fact: the leafs have the worst power play in the NHL this year (no surprise) and ALSO the worst penalty kill (again, no surprise AT ALL). THe last time a team held BOTH of these "achievements" (ha ha) in the same season was 94-95. The team was Anaheim, whose coach at the time was...drum roll please....RON WILSON! Surprise, surprise....NOT!
This season has to go down as one of the worst and most embarrassing in history for the few remaining leaf fans in the world...all the more so since they were ignorantly bragging it up before the season and even through the early part of the season, when it was already obvious what a truly wretched bunch of losers this was. Heck, some misguided leaflovers have kept up with their nonsense all season long and are still predicting great things for their heroes. Some people (usually leaf supporters) just can't see, can't understand, and will not admit the simple truth about their hopeless "heroes".
Let's face it: this is a team that's going nowhere, as this season has proven: poor management, abysmal coaching, a lack of talent (and now a lack of key draft picks also!), no scoring, a wretched and cowardly defense, zero pride, and weak or ageing goaltending. Enjoy your future leaf lovers!
Oh and by the way, the arrogant and ineffectual Burkie was quoted on several occasions this year as saying their goal was to make the playoffs. Sorry Brian, but look on the bright side: maybe one day they'll change the format so that 29 of the 30 teams make it to the post season - then you MIGHT have a chance (that is, if the Oilers fail to improve).