Keeping The Faith When Reality Starts Throwing Punches

It's been a rough couple of days here inside ALF B headquarters: Gloomy faces. Panicky thoughts. Free-floating anxiety.

After Saturday's loss in Philadelphia – the third straight game without a win – I sat in the video room with an old friend and we analyzed tape. I was looking for moments upon which I might "cast an optimistic eye."

There were none.

By about 3 a.m., after hundreds of pauses and rewinds, my retinas conspired with my long-term memory to play tricks on me. Was that Dion Phaneuf mishandling the puck or... Gary Nylund? Was that Tyler Bozak floating around the neutral zone in a comatose state or… Marian Stastny?

After winning their first four games and launching expectations into the stratosphere, the Leafs returned to Planet Earth last week and burned up on re-entry. It was like the movie Awakenings, the part where the experimental drugs stop working and Robert De Niro regresses to baseline.

If you missed Game 6 against New York or Game 7 in Philly – maybe you were lucky enough to be in a hostage situation or trapped under heavy machinery – I can now recap both with pictures:

 

GAME 6: THE SLOPPY JOE

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAME 7: THE GLAZED TURNOVER

 

 

 

 

 

 

So is it over before it started? Did we overestimate this team based on their first four games? Or are we overreacting to the last three?

With less than 10 per cent of the season done, the answer is probably "both." But here's the thing: The team is not freaking out so neither should we.

Being a Leafs fan can be so exhausting.

The bandwagon is like a rush hour bus. People are always pushing to jump on and off at every stop. When things are good, you can't get a seat. When they're bad, your arrival time is delayed and you find yourself sitting next to someone who is crunching loudly on carrots while muttering about Aki Berg.

Me, I refuse to be a part of this bipolar hysteria!

If the Leafs win tomorrow night against Florida, they will have a 5-2-1 record. Compare this to last season's 0-7-1 start. It is a dramatic improvement.

Yes, there are reasons to be concerned. No, this concern should not be unreasonable.

It's Monday morning, people. A new week is upon us. Let's forget the last one. Let's keep perspective and remember we are in this for the long haul and not the short bursts of reactionary emotion, good or bad.

Here are 10 Affirmations to get you through the day. Stand in front of a mirror, place your hand over your chest and repeat these words:

1. The Leafs are tied for first in the Northeast Division.

2. The Leafs are four points out of first place overall.

3. Phil Kessel has as many goals as Sidney Crosby... and so does Clarke MacArthur!

4. The Leafs have winning records at home and on the road.

5. The Leafs have the NHL’s second-best record when they outshoot their opponents

6. Mikhail Grabovski is tied for 15th place in +/- leaders.

7. The Leafs will start scoring on the power play.

8. The Leafs have the eight best penalty killing in the league.

9. The Leafs want to win.

10. And if nothing else... the Leafs have some cap room.

 PHOTO: H. RUMPH JR/ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Comments

[Alex]

"trapped under heavy machinery"

Thanks for the chuckle on a gloomy Monday morning :)

As for your list, you forgot the play of Schenn and Kaberle. At least 2 of our vaunted corps of defencemen are playing well. On the other side of that coin, how bad is Komisarek playing??? (rhetorical question there). Maybe that guy on the bus munching his carrots is daydreaming about having Aki back instead of mike K... at least with Berg, your expectations were usually met.

[We BeLeaf]

The Rangers game was one where the Leafs should have won. Philly always plays them tough on their home ice ans the outcome was pretty much was I had expected. Vinay hits the nail on the head when he summarizes the blog as to keep perspective of the team and that the season is only 10 games old.

Have the Leafs improved? Of course they have in comparison to last year. Do they still carry the same bad tendencies over from last year? Yes, but one can't expect to purge them overnight, after all Rome wasn't built in a day.

It's tough to be a fan of the Leafs, especially considering what we have been subjected to during the Ballard era. However, I believe I am that much more appreciative of being a hockey fan in general for following my team throughout the years....

Cheers to all Leafs!

[Pyramid Power]

11) Kris Versteeg makes like Gary Leeman tomorrow night against Miami.
12) Nik Kulemin makes like Ron Ellis tomorrow night against Miami.
13) Toronto defeats Miami tomorrow night by two goals or more.
GO LEAFS GO!

[Pyramid Power]

"It's tough to be a fan of the Leafs...." indeed We BeLeaf. I would say it is almost an exercise in masochism, but oh how it hurts so good eh?

[gvill]

Its not so tuff. You could be a football fan in Cleveland

[Alea Laitkin]

As to point 5 - the leaf shot totals have been steadily decreasing over the last 5 games to about 16 per game. You can say that the leafs are the second best team in the league when they outshoot their opponents - but reality says that they CAN'T outshoot their opponents.

[Alex]

I like Point # 10. Hopefully Burke will take advantage of some Cap Strapped teams and make some positive additions to this club.

[KD]

It could be even worse, gvill, at least the Browns have won a couple this year. You could be a football fan in Buffalo. Not only is it the winless Bills, but to add insult to injury, you're in Buffalo (not that being in Cleveland is much better, I suppose.)

[Pyramid Power]

@KD Being a sports fan in Buffalo is brutal. Not just the Bills.

But the grandaddy of all pro sports in N. America for pure pain and misery has to go the Chicago Cubs. 1908. OUCH!

[Pyramid Power]

Point 10 is my fave too. We need help, and despite Kadri's recent quality play with the Marlies, we need a good forward.
Lots of speculation, but I dare not predict anything. I do think a deal will be done sooner rather than later though to improve Toronto up front.
Langenbrunner has been horrible this year so far in Jersey. Maybe him? He's American and Burke seems to love American hockey players. Devils fans furious with Captain Langenbrunner so far. See if we make a move for him.

[Arthur Bailey]

Haven't heard from you in days, was worried the Blue and White depression had done you in (I still wait in vain for Winnipeg to get another team so I can switch allegiances and not be bummed out from October to April and golf season).

I am the line shuffle helps... but one of your points, #8... Before the last game, did they not have 6th best? and a few games before that, THE best?

so at this rate, in 7 more games, will the by have the 16th best, or 14th worst in other words?

[Basil Fawlty]

Lighten up, people. This team is already WAY ahead of last years' squad of pylons and the horrible Vesa Toskala in net. Any team can lose three in a row. I think they'll right the ship Tuesday vs Florida.

[Coady Stead]

I am quite proud of my leafs squad this year, and I am sure they will make the playoffs this year. However, not with the current forward lineup. I like Clarke MacArthur, Versteeg, Kessel, and Brown, but the problem lies in the centre of the ice. Bozak, although he has a decent looking future, is probably a second line centre, and even though Grabovski has some talent, he is not a scoring threat. My suggestion is to get rid of Grabovski by pairing him up with Komisarek/Gunnarson in a trade (one of them is required to make someone take the trade) to get a top centre. If we can get Kaberle to waive his no trade clause, even better because I honestly think he is not going to resign in Toronto after the heckling fans have given him.

[Robert Bates]

Welcome to reality, Leaf fans. I believe that this team has even less talent on it than last years. How to you like Komisarik? Now you can appreciate how really good Markov made him look. Leafs will finish one place lower than last year -- Oh,
that's as low as you can go, isn't it. Leafs could not beat Hamilton Bulldogs in a 7 game series. How does that make you feel?????