Bad Like Michael Jackson

"...not good enough to make the playoffs, not bad enough to get a top 5 pick."


I'm feeling a small amount of frustration over the notion out there that being bad will be good. I'm sick of the Leafs being bad. Being bad is terrible. Not trying to be better then bad is even worse. That's when I start yelling "You Suck!" Losing is not winning, although, there are good ways to lose and bad ways to win.


The Title


Actually attempting to be bad is one of the worst things you can do. It should be outlawed in every form. Especially the Michael Jackson form, but also in sports. Finishing in the bottom-5 of the league by design is not a success. For the fans, that's a tragedy. We all know the Leafs are going to struggle this year, but I will be supremely disappointed if, when they lose, it's without a struggle. Even a crappy team, trying their best and playing to win, instead of playing not to lose, is worth watching. In the NHL, parity is so thin, that attitude is often the real difference-maker.


The Quote


The sentence under the title is a direct quote taken from HockeyNews writer, Ken Campbell. It's especially frustrating because he has otherwise written a very good article about why Sundin would choose Toronto over Vancouver or Montreal. In fact, it reads an awful lot like my piece, The Good, The Bad, And The Brutal, except that he doesn't call Sundin a slut.


The Question


The big difference between Ken Campbell's article and my post is that Campbell is "mystified" as to "why the Leafs are interested in having Sundin come back". He obviously didn't read my follow-up post, or he'd know the answer. Sundin is, in one key word Ken, excitement. Win or lose, with him or without him, this team is rebuilding, and the character of the dressing room is gonna change. The vision is there, and it's the correct one, but there still has to be a product on the ice. MLSE has never sold "winning and losing" as a commodity. Like a casino, they sell excitement. Have you seen the roster? Can you imagine how exciting this team is going to be without Sundin? Leaf fans, now more then ever, need something to cheer for. Mats Sundin is a 100%, genuine, certified, bona-fide, garaunteed, no exceptions, crowd-pleasing, show-stopping, thrill-maker. Given that there are no expectations for success this season, the "joy of winning" will have to be replaced by the "joy of watching". Tomas Kaberle is one heck of a hockey player, but him and Jason Blake are not going to get Leaf fans out of their seats on their own. We demand entertainment. We require Sundin.


The Debate


Why do people assume that landing a top-5 pick will automatically make the Leafs a better team? Because Washington has Ovechkin and Pittsburg has Crosby and Malkin, I suppose. Yet, Washington finished in the bottom-5 three times in the last five years (03/04, 05/06, 06/07) and they were only marginally better then a Leafs team that still had Sundin as its Captain, and Paul Maurice as the coach. Pittsburg (02/03, 03/04, 05/06), is a different story, but aside from Crosby, they've been luckier then they've been good. As an example, Chicago (03/04, 05/06, 06/07) and Columbus (02/03, 03/04, 05/06) have also finished bottom-5 three times in five years. What do they have to show for their failures? More failure? L.A. (06/07, 07/08), Phoenix (03/04, 06/07), and St. Louis (05/06, 07/08) have all finished in the bottom-5 twice. Are they projected to be the league's best teams next season? Or will they be lucky to avoid the bottom five again? Other teams that have finished bottom-5 in the last five years are: Atlanta, NY Islanders, Tampa Bay ( all 07/08), Philadelphia, Edmonton (both 06/07), Boston (05/06), and Florida, Carolina, and Buffalo (all 02/03). Do any these teams stand out as a serious Stanley Cup contender? I don't even think any of them stand out as being clearly better than the Leafs. And to think, we were able to build our competitiveness without tanking it or suffering through bottom-of-the-league mediocrity! We thought we might be a playoff team in March and then we weren't in April. That was humiliating enough, but at least winter was almost over.


Besides, as long as Cliff is the GM, it doesn't matter where we finish, it only matters what place Florida and the Islanders end up in. If they're willing to swap draft positions for draft picks we don't need, and give us draft picks for players we don't need, then give us players for pucks we don't need, then all we have to do is worry about beating those 2 teams and making sure we finish higher in the standings than they do. The only thing better than a top 5 pick in the draft, is getting to select Luke Schenn with someone else's pick.


The Results


Detroit, San Jose, Dallas, Calgary, Nashville, New Jersey and Ottawa have all made the playoffs the last 4 seasons in a row. Since Detroit is the only team to win the Cup from this group in the last 4 years (New Jersey's Cup was 5 seasons ago, 02/03), the rest of these teams must be in a state of disaster, right? Aside from Nashville, the Leafs would do well, and surprise a lot of people, if they could keep pace with any of these teams next season. Making the playoffs and missing out on a top 5 draft pick does not seem to have hurt any of these teams or slowed them down at all. More than likely, (with the exception of Nashville again) each of these teams is heading for another playoff spot again this year, and will miss the big John Tavares raffle. Clearly, winning starts at the top with good management and strong leadership. Attitude. Losing is not winning, and it will only help you get better if you're smart enough to learn something from it.


And The Winner Is...


A team that competes hard every night, that plays up to its potential. and then beyond, is its own reward. It's not just if we win, but the way we lose, that makes heroes out of men who've never won a championship. When the players care, it shows on the ice - if not on the scoreboard or in the standings - and the victory goes to the fans.


Thank you.

There's A Voice...

Not sure anyone is going to get this or appreciate it, but, oh well. I guess this is the result of a slow July weekend where I attended, not one, but two birthday parties for girls too young to know what a Maple Leafs Blog is. Maybe it was all the balloons, maybe it was the animals at the farm, or maybe I need more nutrition than just beer and birthday cake when I'm sitting out in the hot sun, but whatever, something got me thinking about an amazing TV show I used to watch when I was a goofy little monkey child. The opening credits had a beautiful song about travelling, and as it played in my mind yesterday, the smell of diapers, the screams of my own 1-year old daughter, and the void of anything hockey-related overwhelmed me. I lost consciousness and passed out, but just in that delirious moment before I blissfully drifted away, visions of Mats Sundin filled my head, while Ron Wilson's melodic voice blended into a kaleidoscope of harmony and colour...

There's a voice...

Keeps on calling me... Down the road...
That's where I'll always be...
And every stop I make...

I make a new friend...

Can't stay for long...

Just turn around...

And I'm gone again...
Maybe tomorrow I'll wanna settle down...

Until tomorrow...

The whole world is my home.

Open Up Your Heart, Let The Sundin In

"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"

Welcome Leaf fans. Today is Mats Sundin Appreciation Day at just your usual general borschevsky. Over at Pension Plan Puppets there's been a really good response to the announcement that Dougie and Wendel will have their jerseys honoured, in the form of Fanshots recognizing our heroes' greatest moments. In the same spirit, we would like to dedicate this post to Sundin, and some of his outstanding accomplishments and highlight his best moments in a Maple Leafs uniform.

Hockey is about excitment, and while Mats Sundin has not brought us a championship (or even a playoff spot recently), he does bring a level of excitment to every game, to every shift, and I fear his absence, while improving our chances of landing a high draft pick (I personally don't find any value in that), will also lead to an incredibly dry, dull, and boring season. At the very least, without Sundin, or any other superstar to lead them, and Ron Wilson's defence-first style of approach, highlight reel goals and memorable performances will be few and far between.

First up: Mats' does it all himself, scoring 2 goals in 14 seconds, single-handedly giving the Leafs a chance to comeback from a 3-0 deficit. The Leafs did eventually lose this game, but at least they were in it. Having Sundin in the line-up means you never give up hope.



Ironically, this next clip is also against Washington. Too bad it wasn't the same game. We can pretend I guess. With 21 seconds left, Sundin is Captain Clutch.



Sundin overtime magic: Game 1, first round vs. Sens, in Ottawa, 2001. I was at this game (and PPP was too). The goal looks awesome on TV, but it was incredible live. Best goal I've ever witnessed with my own eyes.



Sundin scores his 500th. In overtime. Short-handed. To complete the hat-trick. Because that's they way he wanted to do it.



Sundin ties the game with 18 seconds left. Oh ya, also, it's his 400th goal as a Maple Leaf. Mats loves the dramatic. So do I.



Against the Panthers, this game was basically a Sundin vs. Nieuwendyk battle of the titans, with Mats coming out on top. In on every goal, Mats had 4 goals, 2 assists, and led us to another overtime victory.



But can Mats Sundin hit? Ask Brad May.



Maybe that one was a fluke, but watch what Mats does here to Jagr in the playoffs, after a behind the back pass in the nuetral zone to no one. Basically, Jaromir gets what he deserves.



This one's my favorite. Mats hammers Jason Blake. Don't you just wish that was last year?



Finally, to fully appreiciate the greatness of Mats Sundin, one only has to remember that he was the inspiration for a series of brilliant commercials, indeed, the best commercials I've ever seen, for the NHL. If you've never seen these before, boy, are you in for a treat!



Even if you have seen this before, I bet your still gonna laugh when he says, "You're de wurst Leafs on erth!"



Fucking good times. Finally, some idiot reporter asks Mats if he's taking French lessons. If he's been reading my blog, then hopefully he's picked up one key phrase. Here's his reaction:



So, that's it. Hope you enjoyed. If Mats doesn't come back to Toronto and we don't get to enjoy any more of these great moments, well, I guess this is my way of saying, "thank you Mats, for the memories".

The Good, The Bad, And The Brutal

Mats Sundin has 3 choices. We assume that the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings are no longer possibilities, leaving only Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. In order, those choices range from Good, to Bad, to Brutal. We wait, and we wait, and we continue to wait, as the summer gets hotter, and September gets closer, and we wonder where Sundin will begin his 18th NHL season. We also wonder, how Sundin's 18th season, and career, might end?

The Good

If what he is looking for is to end his career on a dignified and noble note, then there is really only one choice for Mats. This is a choice made with the heart only. It will be difficult to accept that a Stanley Cup run with Toronto is a near-impossibility, that even making the playoffs is remote, and the reality is that if Mats should return, likely his career will end without ever lifting the Holy Grail. Difficult to accept, yes, but the Cup is not the only reward for playing in the NHL. Mats and the Toronto Maple Leafs and it's fans have a relationship. It's not going so well at the moment, but there is, no doubt about it, a lot of love there on all sides. Last season was an especially difficult year for the Maple Leafs, and it's fans, but this is the year to make up for it. Expectations of winning have been put aside, dressing room distractions have (hopefully) been removed, and optimism for future success is replacing excuses for past failures. This is the year that we thank Mats for all he has done. Game in, game out, for 41 home games, but especially on Saturday April 11th, 2009, the last game of the season. We don't expect to win. We don't even expect to make the playoffs. None of that matters. All we expect is hockey played with pride and honour and joy. Mats-Sundin-hockey. Our only true desire for this team, ever, is to be able to cheer for them without shame. Mats, if he returns, will be the source of our pride this year. Maurice is gone, Raycroft is gone, JFJ is gone, and gone with them are the embarrassing excuses, the depressing incompetence, the frustration of under-achieving. With all of that out of the way, Leaf fans can properly focus on thanking our captain for all his class and the excitement he's given us these last 13 years. This season is between us and Mats. We both deserve it.

The Bad


The Montreal Canadians offer Mats the best alternative, if he decides to move on. Guy Carbonneau says, "It's not all about the money with Mats". I believe that sentence is true, but winning obviously isn't everything to Mats either, otherwise he'd have signed with Detroit like Hossa did for the league minimum. Comfort will play a huge factor and some are suggesting that Mats might avoid playing for the Habs because, "he won't have to face his former team multiple times a year". I find that absurd. What kind of a coward would move to B.C., even though he really wanted to play in Montreal, just because Leaf fans might boo him more than once? Not a good argument. If he wants to go to Montreal, he'll go, and he won't care how we feel about it. He can take being booed, even by us.

Again, though, we wonder, how will it all end? Well, if Montreal wins the Cup, Sundin goes out like a Champion of Champions, with glory and honour and pride. How close is this dream to reality though? It's no sure thing, but the possibility is there. Still, chasing this dream, while courageous and bold, might end in heartbreak and burning police cars. When the Habs season ends without a Cup, but instead, with handshakes at centre-ice, will Montreal fans cheer directly for Sundin, thanking him for his gutsy decision this summer, for giving it his all in search of a Montreal championship? Or will they cheer politely, like they always do when their team loses its' final playoff game at home, eventually sending the players off the ice, singing "Ole-eeeey, ole, ole, ole, Ohhh-ley, Ohhh-ley". Or will they be checking their pockets for matches and lighters? Point is: Mats, they won't appreciate you in Montreal, not like we do. They only want you for your body (and your backhand). They'll celebrate you if you win Mats, but they won't respect you in the morning. With all of their past heroes, and sizzling-hot-french-hockey-passion, they may not even remember your name for long.

The Brutal

There is only one "wrong" choice Mats could make. Only if he chooses Vancouver, will fans label him a sell-out and a hypocrite. They don't love Sundin in Vancouver, they barely even know him. Their offer of 10 million a season for, not one but two seasons, is outrageous in the least, and reeks of desperation. The Canucks organization seems to be in the same shape the Leafs were in two years ago, and it might get worse there before it gets better. Without Sundin (or Naslund) the Canucks don't look like a playoff team. Even with Luongo there, why would Mats want to shoulder so much of the burden for success? Isn't he tired of that weight? I don't believe it's the hockey that Mats is hesitant to return to. I think it's the pressure and the responsibility. Finally, at the end of the season, if Vancouver misses the playoffs or goes out early in the first or second round, how will Vancouver's fans honour Sundin? A 7-minute standing ovation, or will they boo Sundin and the Canucks of the ice like they did the '72 Summit Series heroes? Montreal at least has a championship to aim for. Vancouver? They're just trying not to suck. Hopefully Sundin feels his legacy is bigger than that.

Summary

Sundin has three choices, with three different perceptions that will follow him based on the choice he makes. If he plays for the Leafs, then we know that Sundin appreciates his relationship with the fans, that it means as much to him as it does to us. He will retire as a Maple Leaf, and we will honour him with a standing ovation that lasts until he has left the ice and disappeared from sight. He will be remembered as the greatest Leaf to ever wear the Blue and White and will always be welcome in Toronto.

If he plays for Montreal: then we know that the love affair has ended, and that Mats' goal of winning the Stanley Cup is his heart's desire. Good for him, but bad for us, at least we can respect him. We might boo him in that first game in Toronto, but there will be some cheers as well. We will enjoy the new drama in our old rivalry, and we'll feel a sense of pride that the Habs owe their success to our guy.

If he plays for Vancouver: then he is a sell-out, a slut, a hypocrite, a coward, a loser, and he's all about the money. He will not be forgiven by Toronto fans, nor will he be warmly welcomed or remembered.
So, we still think that Mats will come back to Toronto. Neither Montreal nor Vancouver has anything close to what we have with Mats: Emotional Allegiance that cannot easily be broken.

The Dream Team (Part 3): Major Fan Related Misgivings

Greetings once more, Sports Fans, and welcome, yet again, to the 3rd edition of our completely miscalculated 2-part series, The Dream Team. Credibility is as good as random chance around here and so we forge ahead ignoring our lack of fresh ideas, frustrated that nothing else at all has happened.

The Final Roster

There are a few management additions, and one line-up change. Plus, we've listed the first 3 lines together as 5-man units.

Wendel Clark (Captain) - Doug Gilmour - Dave Andreychuk

Borje Salming - Sylvain Lefebvre

Salming and Lefebvre move up to the first line to provide stability and consistency. This group will see a lot of ice time and will be on the ice at the beginning and end of every period.

Alexnder Mogilny - Mats Sundin (Assistant) - Nikolai Borschevsky

Tomas Kaberle - Danny Markov

Markov takes Mironov's spot beside Kaberle and this tandem then becomes the perfect fit for the second unit. A distinctly European blend of poise, intelligence, and creativity, this line will be constantly on the attack, and always exciting to watch.

Darcy Tucker - Darryl Sittler (Assistant) - Rick Vaive

Bill Berg - Alyn McCauley - Gary Roberts

Todd Gill - Al Iafrate

Felix Potvin - Curtis Joseph

Mironov is the odd man out (for now), and coming in to replace him is fan favorite, Al Iafrate. He'll play with Gill as the Leafs try to win every game, 6-5. Sittler's line will probably rotate through the 3 defensive pairs based on game-situations and special assingments. Gill and Iafrate, meanwhile, will likely see a lot of time backing up the checking line, especially when the coach needs 5 guys who can stir things up.

extras - (F)Owen Nolan, (D)Dimitri Mironov, (G)Damien Rhodes

coaches - Pat Burns, Kirk Muller, Mike Foligno

GM - Pat Quinn, Special Assistant to the GM - Joe Nieuwendyk

President - Cliff Fletcher

Executive Vice-President, Corporate and Community Partnerships - Chemmy

Kirk Muller and Mike Foligno join Pat Burns behind the bench and Joe Nieuwendyk joins the management team as a special assistant to the GM. (weird, eh?)

All games will be held at Maple Leaf Gardens, but I'm not giving back my seat, they'll have to get new ones. There will be a corporate VIP lounge, however it will be super-exclusive, astronomically expensive, and buried 30kms below the surface of the earth and won't have anything to do with hockey.

Leaf fans (as opposed to soft-drink addicts) will be rewarded with Fan Appreciation Nights every Saturday. Each fan will receive a souvenir Leafs cap that they can throw on the ice after a Leafs' hat-trick or at the end of the game when the Leafs lose. Also, Leaf-legend, Ken Baumgartner will be on hand to greet each and every fan into the building with a handshake. Any fan wearing a Maple Leafs jersey will be given a gift certificate for another one, and anyone wearing a tie will be asked to remove it.

All pre-season home games and practices will be free and open to the public. And, because we care deeply about penny-less children, 500 seats for every home game will be dedicated to youth-at-risk, and low-income families, available through our Corporate and Community Partnerships program (MLSE VP CEO, Chemmy). Contact us to see if you qualify, and we'll send a soda-pop representative to shake you upside-down and make sure you really haven't got any money.