February 11, 2001

Wake the Leafs up!!!

February 11, 2001

The moral of the story here, kids, is DON'T WAGER ON THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T RIG! The Paperless One is going to be out a case of tasty Polish Zywiec Beer thanks to those pesky Toronto Maple Leafs! What was once a safe bet has since whirlwinded into a flurry of disappointment - even the Junior Paperless One finds going to bed early more appealing than staying up to catch a Leafs game as of late.

Why is this? Could it be that the whole Eric Lindros situation is taking its toll on the Buds? Recently, rumours started that Toronto was interested in acquiring Eric Lindros. The Big E, or should we say the Big Concussion, has added to the media scrum by stating to the media that the only place he would like to play is in Toronto.

At what cost, though? Who could the Leafs give up to get Lindros, and who would they want to give up to get a tough player who is one bad hit away from leaving the ice in a pine box? Such a gamble has the Philadelphia Flyers thinking that they could get a lot for Lindros - names like Mats Sundin, Curtis Joseph, Sergei Berezin, and Yanic Perrault have all been thrown around, making virtually the whole team unsure of their status. This has basically thrown the whole team into a spin of desperation hockey which they aren't being successful at.

T Mats Sundin - worried about the kids! ie Domi's keeping his gloves on and trying to score goals, Sergei Berezin has forgotten how to pass the puck (again), and Garry Valk's name isn't synonymous with winning. Hell, Yanic Perrault, the NHL's faceoff leader, has been whisked out of the faceoff circle for not living up to his reputation!

Recently, they've been beaten by the New York Islanders, the Washington Capitals, and even the Los Angeles Kings. Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators have managed to gain a toehold on the lead in the division, and are right up there with the New Jersey Devils atop the Eastern Conference.

This isn't looking good for my beer wager. As a matter of fact, this spiral of pathos is looking bad for the post-season entirely! Of course, not making the playoffs is still a long way from being a reality, but the trading deadline is still a month away, and one can't expect the team to perform well until all of this Lindros crap is behind the team.

The Big E shouldn't have opened his big mouth - if he kept a lid on it, this rumour would have been nothing more than a repeat of the "Rob Blake" rumour. However, it is now so much more. We have a month more of shitty hockey to watch, then less than a month to see how far out of this hole the Leafs can dig themselves. The only winners in this one will be the Philadelphia Flyers, as the Ottawa Senators have proven in the past that they do nothing better than get stupid during the playoffs.

The Paperless One is no hockey master, but even if he were, he'd still think that a little of Domi's magic would be good for the team. You've already got a record year for goals...don't let Corson be the goon - he's supposed to be out there scoring alongside his brother-in-law!

Oh well, I hope I at least get to drink a beer or two while watching the post-season!