Toronto Maple Leafs

[T-Bone]

All the best to our guys in the Blue & White. Go Leafs Go! #TMLtalk #TFClive pic.twitter.com/pkb9v69SYo

— Toronto FC (@torontofc) October 8, 2014

[Will]

If a team as Buffalo can only manage 10 shots against the Maple Leafs (who are hardly elite) then I dread to think how many shots they'll get against a team that is actually good.

[ArgoRavi]

If a team as Buffalo can only manage 10 shots against the Maple Leafs (who are hardly elite) then I dread to think how many shots they'll get against a team that is actually good.

How did the Sabres get this horrible this quickly?

[AngeloV]

If a team as Buffalo can only manage 10 shots against the Maple Leafs (who are hardly elite) then I dread to think how many shots they'll get against a team that is actually good.

I believe they had 15 and won in San Jose on the weekend.

[1argoholic]

I guess Buffalo improved because they kicked Leaf ass on Sat. Leafs are going nowhere and they're getting there fast. Same old, same old. Having way more fun watching The Petes up and mostly down season. Nice to see the future NHL stars come through town.

[Argo57]

The only concern I have about MLSE is that they have great business savvy but have horrible track record of winning. In the long run, the Leafs can get away with mediocre seasons without hurting at the gate. Can the Argos?

"horrible track record of winning"???? Cmon man, they almost made the Stanley Cup in 93 if Kerry Fraser had made "the call".
Name another franchise that can match that tradition!!!

[ArgoZ]

"horrible track record of winning"???? Cmon man, they almost made the Stanley Cup in 93 if Kerry Fraser had made "the call".
Name another franchise that can match that tradition!!!

Being a Wings fan, I am often reminded from the Leaf nation, how awesome that year was and how they upset the Wings in seven game series. It was exciting, but I then chuckle, as I then state how that was 22 years ago and the Wings have since won 4 Cups.

[paulwoods13]

Being a Wings fan, I am often reminded from the Leaf nation, how awesome that year was and how they upset the Wings in seven game series. It was exciting, but I then chuckle, as I then state how that was 22 years ago and the Wings have since won 4 Cups.

I'm also a Wings fan, and I prefer not to rub Leaf fans noses in the past two decades (my dad is a Leaf fan, for one thing). But I do sometimes have to remind people that that "monumental upset" was in fact a win by a team that was just four points behind the "favourite."

Detroit Red Wings 84 47 28 9 103 369 280
Toronto Maple Leafs 84 44 29 11 99 288 241

[ArgoRavi]

I'm also a Wings fan, and I prefer not to rub Leaf fans noses in the past two decades (my dad is a Leaf fan, for one thing). But I do sometimes have to remind people that that "monumental upset" was in fact a win by a team that was just four points behind the "favourite."

Detroit Red Wings 84 47 28 9 103 369 280
Toronto Maple Leafs 84 44 29 11 99 288 241

Good point, Paul. The bigger upset for the Leafs was when they beat the Islanders back in 1978. Lanny McDonald's OT game-winning goal in Game 7 is still, IMO, the greatest moment in Leafs history since their last Stanley Cup win.

[gilthethrill]

Good point, Paul. The bigger upset for the Leafs was when they beat the Islanders back in 1978. Lanny McDonald's OT game-winning goal in Game 7 is still, IMO, the greatest moment in Leafs history since their last Stanley Cup win.

Yes, I loved hockey when I was a kid and recall that goal vividly Ravi.....

[Will]

The point totals might not suggest that the Leafs winning that series was an upset, but the talent level on that Red Wings team was probably much greater than the talent level on that Maple Leafs team. Outside of Gilmour, Andreychuk, Clark, Anderson and Borschevsky did the Leafs really have that many offensive threats? Remember that Clark only scored 17 times that season compared to 46 in 1993-1994. The Wings had Yzerman, Fedorov, Coffey, Ciccarelli, Sheppard, Yserbaert, etc. The Leafs also, if you recall, had started the 1992-1993 season slowly before catching fire after the New Year. Grant Fuhr was traded for Dave Andreychuk and Felix Potvin was solid between the pipes. People didn't know whether it was an aberration. It didn't help the Red Wings that they had Tim Cheveldae in goal.

The biggest Leaf upsets may actually be in the 1980's when the John Brophy teams won a couple of playoff series (although Maloney may have been coach for one such year)

[ArgoRavi]

The biggest Leaf upsets may actually be in the 1980's when the John Brophy teams won a couple of playoff series (although Maloney may have been coach for one such year)

The Leafs' upset of Chicago in the first round in 1986, with Dan Maloney as head coach, is likely the biggest upset the Leafs have pulled off since their last Stanley Cup win. They did beat St. Louis in the first round the next year, under John Brophy, but that wasn't quite as big of an upset as what happened in '86. During the '85-'86 season, the Leafs did have Chicago's number as they beat the Blackhawks 6 out of 8 games so the playoff upset wasn't totally out of the blue.

[1argoholic]

No talk about the big trade? One guy who played with heart and passion every night in Santorelli and he gets traded. Yet another Leafs rebuild. This team is messed up from the top and down and has been for as long as I can remember. Gongshow that for the most part has me watching a few minutes here and there in between flipping channels.

[Argo57]

No talk about the big trade? One guy who played with heart and passion every night in Santorelli and he gets traded. Yet another Leafs rebuild. This team is messed up from the top and down and has been for as long as I can remember. Gongshow that for the most part has me watching a few minutes here and there in between flipping channels.

Agree with the Leafs rebuild plan (should have done this 10 years ago) but you have to maximize your assets and draft well, something that this organization historically has been abysmal at.
The last significant 1st round draft pick by Toronto was Wendel Clark (1985).
Grew up an diehard Leaf fan, don't watch them anymore and find MLSE to be a very unlikeable organization!

[argolio]

No talk about the big trade? One guy who played with heart and passion every night in Santorelli and he gets traded. Yet another Leafs rebuild.

If the reports are true, they've never done a rebuild like they're planning to do now. Assuming they follow through all the way, of course.

[1argoholic]

My cousin worked as a bartender at The Convention Centre back in 85 and he got us floor seats for the draft when Clark was picked by the Leafs. The Draft wasn't the huge deal that it is today.

Seems like all the teams that improve do it through getting the first pick overall or very close to that. You then build a team around that star. The Leafs haven't been able to build anything in years. Sad to watch for sure.

[Argo57]

My cousin worked as a bartender at The Convention Centre back in 85 and he got us floor seats for the draft when Clark was picked by the Leafs. The Draft wasn't the huge deal that it is today.

Seems like all the teams that improve do it through getting the first pick overall or very close to that. You then build a team around that star. The Leafs haven't been able to build anything in years. Sad to watch for sure.

The Leafs actually backed into picking Clark, they had their sights set on Craig Simpson who after meeting with team officials preferred to be picked elsewhere (who could blame him). Dumb luck prevailed!

[ArgoRavi]

My cousin worked as a bartender at The Convention Centre back in 85 and he got us floor seats for the draft when Clark was picked by the Leafs. The Draft wasn't the huge deal that it is today.

Seems like all the teams that improve do it through getting the first pick overall or very close to that. You then build a team around that star. The Leafs haven't been able to build anything in years. Sad to watch for sure.

What I find most amazing about the Leafs over the last 48 years is that they have been mediocre, for the most part, but rarely bad enough to be the worst or second worst team in the league like Edmonton has been for the past several seasons.

[Argo57]

What I find most amazing about the Leafs over the last 48 years is that they have been mediocre, for the most part, but rarely bad enough to be the worst or second worst team in the league like Edmonton has been for the past several seasons.

In the years before the salary cap era the Leafs overpayed aging players such as Shayne Corson, Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk who still had enough left in the tank to keep them in the middle of the pack draft wise, hence they missed out on some blue chip prospects, at the same time they were also trading 1st rounders on the likes of Owen Nolan and Brian Leetch.
When all was said and done these guys all retired and the Leafs were left with basically nothing, the effects are still being felt some years later.

[Will]

The Maple Leafs have had a truly horrible drafting record over the years. There was the time when Stellick was GM and the Leafs had 3 1st round draft picks and he selected three Belleville Bulls. People I think joked whether the Leafs had any scouts outside of Southern Ontario.