I had a column - well, the outline of one anyway - all ready in my head for tonight’s game against the Senators. I was going to call it “Zero Hour” and say that’s it do-or-die time for the Maple Leafs, that they have to win this game if they want to stay alive, that everybody’s hoping for a win, just don’t fall apart now and especially not against the Senators.
Turns out that wasn’t enough.
Toronto did win tonight and did so convincingly with a 5-1 victory that was a 5-0 shutout for most of the game - but Tampa Bay won too, in overtime, and that was it. No more math, no more graphs, no more “What-if” scenarios - in the time it took for Martin St. Louis to score the Maple Leaf’s season ended. Now all that’s left of it is just a meaningless game against Pittsburgh .
This game means very little now - even for Leaf fans, who are no doubt thrilled that the Leafs finally beat the Senators, who wanted to see the team in the playoffs again. Of course the Leafs had no chance of making the postseason at all - they never did, really - but that rally from deep in the pack sure made it seem otherwise, if just for a few days. But whatever. This has been a disaster of a season for the Leafs and Co. - Just as the team is showing that it can finally win games, players like Tie Domi - a player who brings little to the table other then his physical skills - refuse to fight, to do their job. This team just couldn’t get anything right this at all.
Here’s to next season.
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