btw, glad you took that well. My buddy goes ballistic when I talk bad about the Leaf's .. he's a 2nd generation lifeblood fan. Actually this city wouldn't exist financially if it wasn't for the Leaf's since NHL began; up till the late 80's. I like that we have an NHL team, really I do, but I worry if they don't win the Stanley soon somebody is going to move them ... if Balsillie had his way they'd be in Waterloo by now.
^ Regardless of young players or old, non-skilled or not ... Leafs have NOT delivered a Stanley cup in what (again not googling here but I'll probably fair better with this out-my-ass-guestimate) 40years plus?! The "potential" has for the better part ALWAYS been there. Arguments like this or some 20yrs ago stating that the Garden's was cursed from the ghost of that all manager (something to do with a plaque in center ice at The Gardens; removed now?) whatever ... they NEED to deliver ... plain and simple, face it the team is squashed balls the have the worst loosing streak in failing to acquire the Stanley cup ever! Heck the NHL should just GIVE it to them out of pity. I'm not telling you to not love the team ... and I HOPE they do win - I won't be on the "band wagon" but I'll sell you crazy KingCans past 4am when you're partying all week though
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Facts are FACTS. The Leafs survive on those facts are a microcosm; you couldn't expect a USA NHL team to loose as badly or not concur a Stanley in that length of time and STILL be in the same city could/would you?! Seriously?
HOW they play is the reason they have NOT won the Stanley. I went to 3 Leaf's games ... just 3 (late 80's till 2000). I cannot recall WHEN or specific game but I DO recall one team OWNING them ... Detroit I think. The team that was stacked with killer players. I watched all 5 players (goalie must've been picking up all the Leaf players wife's numbers during this), passing the puck around the net just below the blue line for almost 10 minutes!! I SWEAR it was like watching the Bulls own the Lakers in the late 90's when Jordan was in his prime. Ever watch basketball players pass the ball around the "key"?! This is what I was seeing on the ice pretty much. I swear I almost cried for the Leafs, because they didn't know what to do, and the visiting team was just toying with them, tiring them out, not one of their players had to move really just standing still passing the puck ... then finally BAM slap shot straight in ... nothing but ice+net.
, lol