Look, I’ve been a Maple Leafs fan long enough to know that a 7-5-2 record is just enough to keep the hope alive before the soul-crushing reality sets in. With 70 games left, we are well within the race, sitting three games back in the Atlantic. But honestly? Watching us drop a 2-5 decision to Calgary on Monday, October 26, is just standard procedure at this point. It���s a tradition. While the rest of the league moves on, I’m left wondering why our defensive structure has the structural integrity of a wet paper bag.
Since there are 11 games on the schedule today, October 27, I suppose I have to watch some actual hockey. Maybe if I study how teams like Dallas or Winnipeg handle their business, I’ll find some peace. Probably not. I’ll be tuned into the action tonight—CBJ at PHI, BOS at CAR, and the rest of the chaotic mix—just to see how other fanbases suffer or succeed. It’s a long road to the playoffs, and if this season follows the script I’ve seen for decades, I’ll have plenty of time to work on my golf game come April. Stay miserable, friends.