THE MEANING OF LIFE, THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING...FOR LEAFS NATION

   Don’t panic.

  No, this isn’t the beginning of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” rather a couple friendly words of advice to all of die-hard “Leafs Nation”. I know you’ve heard those two little words before many, many times in the past. Completely understood is the fact that the prospect of facing yet another year of underachieving mediocrity when you were promised “truculence” would most definitely send even the most optimistic of fans into sheer panic mode. But try not to panic, not just yet.

   Don’t get me wrong though, it sure won’t be easy for Brian Burke to right the ship especially the way it is listing at the present time, but he does deserve one more chance. Unfortunately for Burke, this may be his last chance to do so. This is Toronto we are talking about where every single move is scrutinized to death and where the local media has no problem calling out anything it deems moronic regardless if it is or not. Since his arrival, Burke has been hammered over everything from bringing on board the wrong coach with the wrong system to selling the farm for…Gasp!!!...Americans. Not that any of that matters at all to Mr. Burke as he makes quite clear his disdain for those who criticize his actions in a most entertaining way. You have to give him credit in that aspect at the very least. Everyone likes a guy who is willing stick to his guns and “Burkie” is that kind of guy. Besides, you have to admit that your team is better today than it was under J.F. Jr., right? I mean at least scoring is up and the team is younger now. Okay, so the back end leaves a lot to be desired and the goaltending situation is in need of a serious upgrade, but rest assured that fact isn’t lost on Burke. He above anyone else knows that the defensive side of his roster has more gaps in it than Dustin Brown’s smile and it needs to be addressed this offseason.

   The pressure is definitely on for Burke to at the very least make this club a playoff contender and back up the promises he made coming in. However, if you look closely at what he has already done and how he has set the table going forward you’ll see there is a method to his madness. Given the uncertainty of how the next CBA will pan out, wisely Burke has positioned the franchise to be able to pick and choose how it fleshes out the roster under the new agreement. With seven forwards due to become UFA’s in 2013/2014 tremendous amounts of flexibility is in the hands of management due to Burke not handcuffing the franchise with overpriced long term contracts. As long as he shores up the back end this year and there is no doubt that he will your beloved Leafs will be poised to come roaring back into relevance thanks to Burke and his colorful yet crafty way of conducting business. I only hope that he will be allowed to be around to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

   So relax Leafs fans, the universe is not coming to an end…don’t panic.

CAN THE MAPLE LEAFS BE FIXED?

Stuck in the midst of over 40 years of drought, the once mighty Maple Leafs have fallen on hard times of epic proportions. Not financially by any means as they were recently touted as the NHL’s most valuable franchise by Forbes, but in terms of on ice futility. 1967 was the last time that Leafs Nation tasted victory in the form of the Stanley Cup. Since then, not so much as getting close enough to even sniff it.

In 1969, 1972 and 1974 the Leafs were ousted by the Bruins in the playoffs. 1975, 1976 and 1977 they ran into trouble with the Flyers. 1978 and 1979 it was the Canadiens turn and in 1980 and 1981 it was the North Stars and Islanders turn to snuff the hopes of Leafs fans. 1983 the North Stars took them out again and 1986 St. Louis got in on the act. 1987 and 1988 the Red Wings did the honors and St. Louis again took them out in 1990. 1993 seemed to be the year that they would finally bring some glory back to Toronto, that was until they ran into Gretzky’s Kings and a barn-burner 7 game series that found the Leafs heading home early once again. 1994 they ran out of gas falling to Vancouver and 1995 Chicago sent them packing. 1996 the Blues shattered the dream once more marking the last time they would see playoff action in the Western Conference. Trying their luck again in the East, they made a run in 1999 where they ran into trouble with the Sabres. 2000 and 2001 New Jersey took over as Leaf killers and 2002 had the Hurricanes giving them the boot. 2003 and 2004 the Flyers took them out and they haven’t made the playoffs since.

This season’s version of the Leafs generated some buzz over the summer as additions to the lineup had Leafs Nation thinking playoffs again. Consistency has so far eluded this year’s version and a weak blueline now has fans second guessing earlier predictions. It is understandably difficult to play in Toronto under the constant microscope of the media and fans, but it is no different today as it has been all along in Toronto. Eleven Stanley Cup championships as the Maple Leafs gives the franchise its historical clout, $83 million in profit gives them the financial clout, but on the battlefield, between the whistles where the war is waged the Leafs have come up empty for the last 40 years. This is the reason for the constant scrutiny, the calls for front office change as well as on ice changes. Change can sometimes be just what the doctor ordered, but there are no guarantees that change will actually fix anything. Until the right formula is put together from top to bottom the drought will continue. Don’t forget that there are 83 million reasons not to change a thing and in today’s world the bottom line is the bottom line.

There is only one easy answer to what will fix Leafs Nation and that is winning the Cup. Trouble is, that is the hardest task to accomplish in all of sports and this year’s version isn’t off to a roaring start. Winning is the cure-all for what ails this once proud franchise and it remains the only way to bring glory back to the city. Winning is the only change that needs to be made and it starts with a face-off, a battle in the corner or in front of the net, one shift at a time and one game at a time. No matter what changes are made in the front office, it comes down to the guys who take the ice to make the necessary changes in order to win. Sure the front office can put together the best possible product, but even then winning isn’t in their hands it is solely up to the players to generate the wins. Winning is an attitude, a culture, a measure of pride and status and something that has been missing in Toronto since 1967.

TORONTO TOO DESPERATE FOR CHANGES?

Sometimes while surfing the net sniffing out scraps of news, I stumble upon reports that make me scratch my head. The latest one being the reports of the MLSE (Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment) being close to hiring Scotty Bowman as president of the Leafs. Not that the Leafs couldn’t use or would love to have Bowman on board, but really people, do you think Scotty is looking for that kind of work? His career is one of legend and he is still active as a league adviser and on several league committees committed to bettering the league as well as the HHOF selection panel. Not to mention, I’m sure that he is still tied in some aspect to the Wings as an advisor of sorts. So my question is where does this sort of report get its start? Well, in June Bowman was contacted by a representative of MLSE to offer him a job with the Leafs in which he apparently declined. The recent report gained steam when Bowman was spotted next door to the Maple Leafs arena. Only problem is he was next door at NHL headquarters at the request of Colin Campbell to be part of a panel aimed to discuss rule changes, NOT to revisit the Leafs offer. It seems that some in the Toronto media are so desperate to see major changes in the Leafs front office that any sighting spurs wishful thinking. I too wish the Maple Leafs will one day return to glory and as much as they have failed for so long now I understand the frustration of the media and fan base. What surprises me is the levels of desperation to have the Leafs a contender is so great that stories like the alleged Bowman signing gains steam. This upcoming season the Maple Leafs have a chance to make the playoffs with their off-season acquisition of Jason Blake (who should be just the scoring punch the team needs to put them over the top) and goaltender Vesa Toskala. Don’t forget that they just missed making the dance last year, so with Blake and Toskala added there is a good chance they will be in the mix this year. Once there, anything can happen. That should be enough hope for Leaf fans and local media to focus on, but unfortunately it isn’t. Montreal (you didn’t really think I wouldn’t mention them did you?) is in the same boat as Toronto as far as the media fishbowl and constant pressure to succeed. The difference between the two remains that the Montreal media is critical of the team and players, but accepts the direction where as the Toronto media is desperate to call for changes each year and any hint of new blood has them rushing to push the story. Okay, my rant is over. You can now return to your regular scheduled program and I will get another cup of coffee and continue surfing.