OTTAWA (Nov. 6) -- Though the Toronto Maple Leafs have done a respectable job of staying afloat in the Eastern Conference with their usual spate of complex injuries, they simply cannot afford to lapse into any prolonged slump from this point forward. That may sound like an over-reaction only 15 games into the schedule, but mathematics is quickly going to become an adversary if they don't pick up the pace.
The Leafs are playing .500 hockey (6-6-2-1) after the first month of the season. Again, that's nothing to be ashamed of, given the absence of four players they are heavily relying on -- Bryan McCabe, Darcy Tucker, Kyle Wellwood and Carlo Colaiacovo. The Maple Leafs don't have nearly the amount of depth required to compensate for such losses.
There was a time, not too many years ago, when a .500 record would easily carry a team into the playoffs. Today, it will get you a prime lottery pick. One of the most startling and laughable achievements in Leafs history was the post-season spot earned in 1987-88 with a 21-49-10 record for 52 points. Yup, the Buds actually qualified for the Cup tournament that year by playing 28 games under .500! Though points are awarded today for losses, the Philadelphia Flyers finished last season with a grand total of 56, and were dead-last in the 30-team NHL. More significantly as it pertains to the Leafs, the eighth-place teams in the Eastern Conference the past two seasons (Tampa Bay in 2005-06 and the Islanders last year) each finished 10 games above the .500 mark. Which is the minimum pace the Leafs must now perform at in their remaining 67 matches, if the most-recent comparisons hold true.
That's not an impossible task, especially if the injured players return and the roster can somehow stay intact over a period of time. But, it simply doesn't allow for the club to slip any further. Moving forward at the same pace -- or even slightly above it -- will not suffice. The Leafs have to get hot fairly soon and make up for the ground they've failed to negotiate in the opening month. Otherwise, a third consecutive playoff miss will become inevitable much sooner than in the past two seasons.
***************************************
Though I often write and speak about the acquiescence of Leafs Nation, I must say that I'm impressed with the measured reaction to my column on Saturday. The one about the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment board of directors openly discussing Mats Sundin's future with the club, should it tumble out of reasonable playoff contention. The bulk of the correspondence I've received has raw emotion liberally mixed with practicality. A thoughtful, moving e-mail from a man named Devin in Saskatoon, Sask. stood out among the messages in my in-box:
"To be honest, Howard, I'd be practically heartbroken if the Leafs and Sundin agreed to part ways, but that day has to arrive eventually. Emotions and business don't often mix with good results. Even Mats, himself, was acquired as part of a terribly unpopular trade -- the one that sent Wendel Clark out of Toronto. But, it turned out to be maybe the most brilliant move the team has ever made. I love Mats as much as any player on any team I have cheered for. And, I'm like a lot of Leaf fans that would have difficulty watching him succeed with another team. But, it really makes more sense to turn him into an asset than it does to allow him to retire in a Leaf jersey, just for the sentimental value. Though, I have to tell you, I never thought I'd hear myself say those words."
Devin makes a whole bunch of great points, and is typical of many others that have sent me messages. Naturally, there remains a large faction of Leaf supporters that is more than content with the status quo and cannot even fathom a sensible, business-type decision that might spell the end for Sundin in Toronto. It is, of course, their glazed-over attitude that the owners of the Leafs have preyed on for decades. Winning is such a foreign concept in Leaf-land that few fans can truly identify with it. Instead, the undying devotion for long-time heroes easily fills the void, along with dreaming in technicolour about the immediate impact of future heroes (i.e. Anton Stralman).
**************************************
It was only six months ago that fans of the New Jersey Devils were threatening me with bodily harm for pointing out how dismally the club is supported.
"The Meadowlands is a tough place to get to," they wailed. "Just wait 'til we open the new rink in Newark!"
Okay, Devils fan... I'm waiting. What's keeping you?
The novelty of the Prudential Center lasted for a whole night. The Devils sold out one game in a row in their gorgeous new digs -- and I mean, gorgeous. I was there last Friday for the Leafs' 3-2 loss to the Devs and the arena is absolutely spectacular -- inside and out. It ranks, immediately, alongside the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN as my favorite building in the NHL. But, the blase attitude towards the Devils returned as soon as opening night against Ottawa was in the books.
A capacity crowd of 17,625 showed up for the premiere. The club hasn't since come within 3,000 of filling the joint. And, as is common in many U.S. cities, the announced attendance figures of the three ensuing matches have all been wildly inflated. The crowd was said to be 13,218 for the Devils' second game at "The Rock" -- last Wednesday against Tampa Bay. But, witnesses tell me there weren't more than 8,000 actually on hand. Same thing for my first experience on Friday. The announced audience for the Toronto game was 14,523. But, countless rows, and even half-sections, were completely deserted. There might have been 9,000 bodies in the rink.
Then, last night, with the NHL's best player (Sidney Crosby) in town, 14,032 were said to have purchased tickets. I don't know what the entire crowd looked like, but numerous low-level seats in my TV picture were empty once again.
So, what's the excuse now? It can't be transportation access, as purportedly at the Meadowlands. Newark Penn Station is four blocks away from the Prudential Center, providing train service to and from all parts of New Jersey and Manhattan. Perhaps it's the fear of becoming a homicide statistic. Can't say I wasn't thinking about that, myself, as I walked from the rink to my hotel on Friday.
More than likely, though, it's the same malaise as in all previous years: There simply are not enough hockey fans in the Metropolitan New York area to support three NHL teams. The Rangers are like the Leafs... dress any 20 bodies and throw open the doors. The sheep will follow. The Devils and Islanders, however, are victims of demand, and of the myriad other ways that people spend their entertainment dollars today.
Not even an exquisite, new palace can change that.
E-mail
[email protected] 
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»