It is October 10, 2026, and once again, I find myself nursing a coffee, staring at the schedule, and wondering if this is the year the pain finally ends. The Leafs are 2-2-1, sitting one point back in the Atlantic. It is early, the season is live, and yet, the existential dread is already settling in like a permanent resident. We have 79 games left to convince ourselves that this time, things will be different—before they inevitably aren't. Looking back at yesterday, October 9, we saw Seattle handle Detroit 6-3, Washington take down the Rangers 3-1, Columbus edge out Pittsburgh 3-2, and Anaheim cruise past Winnipeg 5-1. Today, however, the league is busy. There are 14 games on the slate, including our boys taking on Colorado at 7:00 PM ET. It is a massive test, the kind that usually tests my blood pressure more than the players' resolve. As a lifelong Leafs fan, I have learned that hope is a dangerous thing, but here we are again. We strap in, we watch, and we pray that the 1967 ghost finally decides to take a vacation. Let’s see if we can actually string some wins together.