Game 5: Celebrating the value of entertainment

You can look at last night's result in two ways: 1. The Leafs winning streak ended. 2. The Leafs point streak continued.

Me, I'm going with No. 2.

Hockey can be a game of lucky breaks. And last night, the Leafs didn't get any. They outshot the Islanders 30-20. They controlled the play for much of the game, especially the second half. They had more scoring chances, better scoring chances. They had a goal in the second that was waved off. And they celebrated a phantom goal in the third that, upon video review, never crossed the line.

Did they deserve to win? Yes. But as Ron Wilson observed: "What are you going to do?"

Well, for starters, the coach may want to notify Canadian border officials and tell them to be on the lookout for 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson.

The Islander goalie keeps smuggling precious points out of the country. He's also running an illegal shot-stopping sweatshop in the ACC.

Last season in 3 games against Toronto, Roloson stopped 116 of 123 shots. Last night, several of his 29 stops were of the spectacular variety. So thanks to Roloson and some unlucky breaks, the Leafs lost 2-1 in overtime when they could have won 4-1 in regulation time.

But let's not dwell on the game.

It's a long season and Leaf fans, understandably prone to gloom and microscopic analysis, deserve a break from the perennial soul-searching that follows a loss or non-win.

Instead, let's salute the Leafs for returning a precious commodity to this market after it vanished without a trace years ago: Entertainment value.

There was a time, an extended and depressing time, in which it was possible to watch an entire Leafs game while flipping through magazines or catching up on your email. For interminable stretches, the play was choppy. There was a lot of dumping and even more pointless chasing.

No more.

This team skates, passes and hits with authentic conviction. They are not only making plays, they are making beautiful plays. To watch the Leafs, at long last, is to watch a team that competes and fights for every inch of the ice, consequences be damned.

One morning, as we sat in his office, Brian Burke explained it this way:

"We are fun to watch, even when we lose. We provide entertainment value. It's part of the plan. It's one of my pillars. We're not going to win every game, we know that. But we want to justify the price of the ticket."

For this alone, the man deserves a standing ovation.

Bring on the Rangers.

PHOTO: FRANK GUNN/CANADIAN PRESS

Comments

[Anthony]

Great game, squeezed a point out of it, no problems here. This Leafs squad is consistently playing with high energy and they are looking harder to play against more often then not, don't believe me? Take a look at the shots over the first 5 games.
Well done Burke, looking froward to your next move.
Go Leafs!

[Moe Green]

See, your right, but this was an important game. You expect to win against the Isles and indeed the Leafs were a better team. Or they could have been the better team if they played harder, if the bounces went there way, if Versteeg buries one of his several chances. But just like last year, the Leafs let a poorer team beat them. No biggie except they face the Rangers and the Flyers this week. Let's imagine that they lose both of those game. Ugly to think about isn't it. Then the unbeaten season turns into the four wins versus three losses season. Not so good anymore huh. And what about the next game against Florida or the next against Boston. This is fragile team and this was a game they should have won. They didn't, so let's hope they win one of the next two, or a season of promise could disintegrate before our weary eyes.

[Dave]

"But we want to justify the price of the ticket." Well then Brian, in addition to good hockey, you're also going to need a cannon that shoots $100 bills into the crowd during the first and second intermission.

[Vinay Menon]

@Dave: I'm swamped with non-Leafs work today. So thanks for breaking up the tension by making me laugh out loud. Good one.

[Justin]

@Dave haha nice one man

[Chad]

True that they are playing very entertaing hockey, but at the current prices of Leaf tickets.......unless they win the Stanley Cup on home ice........it will NEVER justify the price of a ticket.

[James Jack]

@Anthony. Well I certainly hope you are not that negative in your personal life. Man you got me depressed with your post. First, the Leafs played really hard last night. Second, the goaltender they were facing was phenomenal last night. Third they got the shaft from the refs (not talking about disallowed goals, rather three minors that should have been called against the Islanders late in the game and OT versus the cheap call against Lebda) and fourth, the Islanders have not been pushovers this season, just like the Leafs, they are playing well. If the Leafs play the game they played last night against any team in the NHL, they win at least 2/3 of the time for sure.

[Bill Smith]

Entertaining is right for sure.Every game has been fast paced,physical and skillful.
I can't remember the last time the Leafs had such speed and skill combined with a win at all costs attitude.Moe thats a lot of negative ifs!!!Imagine if they beat the rangers,flyers and boston.Delightful to think about isn't it?Why would you call this team fragile?Have you checked on the senators lately?Now that's fragile!!!

[Geoff Read]

Well said, @Dave. That is one of the things we don't talk about enough - hockey used to be a working-class game - average people could afford to take their families to a game every now and then. Now - taking the wife and two kids to a game is going to run the average Joe a minimum of $500 (if he's lucky enough to score tickets in the first place). That's a shame. Spiraling costs are also making playing the game inaccessible for many Canadian kids.

[Pyramid Power]

Nice swipe save on a possible goal by Komisarek. Tough luck for Grabovski not scoring on a late chance. Versteeg should have had one or two. Especially the first glorious chance he had where he decided he would go low instead of going how after he had Roloson beat on a deke to the right side.
I will never understand why players try to be too cool for school, and not get the puck upstairs for the sure goal. He had room to do so.

Entertaining game for sure! No surprise to see local Toronto guys Tavares and Moulson hurt the Leafs as they did. Familiar story and, yeah, what can you say about Dwayne Roloson? Just get him and that game out of the way and move on as fast as possible.
Tough loss but a point is nice.
Being on top of the NHL standings is nicer.
Beating the living daylights out of the Rangers on Thursday, and seeing Sean Avery pay for his transgressions last Friday will be the nicest.

[Pyramid Power]

@Moe Green Wow! You sir are a nattering nabob of negativity to steal a line that was supposedly uttered by Spiro Agnew about the media. Yeesh! Stay positive and positive things will happen.
GO LEAFS GO!

[James Jack]

Was it Moe or Anthony that was so negative. I thought it Anthony! Sorry buddy. Shame on you Moe! (for being negative!)

[Hoofheartz]

There are two things that I truly enjoy about this blog. 1. It is written by a Leaf fan for other Leaf fans and 2. It isn't written by D. Cox.

[Pyramid Power]

Another shot across the bow at Damien Cox. Amazing. Sad.

[We BeLeaf]

This is something I mentioned to my fellow Leafs fans a short time ago regarding the breakout plays and passes which Vinay, you have just described in your blog. Last years Leafs progressed slowly, methodically out of their own zone. This year has them creating chances from aggressive back-checking leading to scoring opportunities. I believe this style of play will hold up well against defensive teams who like to clog the neutral zone if only because of their increased speed carried through this zone. Time to focus on the Rangers and hopefully somebody puts Avery in his place.

Go Leafs Go!

[Alex]

I see it as #2 as well. People shouldn't get too caught up in the euphoria. At some point the Leafs will also lose in regulation, and that shouldn't be a cause for hysterics. No team has ever gone undefeated. Every team loses. You need to lose some games and learn some valuable lesson in order to improve. Let's just be thankful that they've taken 9 out of 10 possible points so far.