I am currently in Mexico for a family reunion. It is absolutely gorgeous, amazing to get out of the gray, Toronto winter and bask in some vitamin D. At this very moment, I am walking along this beach.
I am gazing out onto the vast Atlantic Ocean with cool water and warm sand under my feet, and I am writing about the Toronto Maple Leafs. I don’t say this to illicit sympathy, because what sympathy could I expect? It’s far better to be writing about the Leafs on a beach than it is to be writing about them in Toronto. Although one could argue, and would likely be right, that after this week, it’s better not to write about them at all.
Last week, I wrote that the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t deserve their fans. Once again, that rings true as this fan is taking time out of his vacation to absolutely lambast this pathetic organization.
Craig Berube should be done
“Ask those guys.” Any respect I had for Craig Berube vanished the second he said those words. I don’t particularly want to get into whether these struggles are his fault. His assistant coaching staff, at the very least, is atrocious, and the famed accountability coach has none for his own squad. I also subscribe to the idea that if your players don’t play for you, it’s probably your fault. This is not to take away agency from the players. They also deserve a lion’s share of the blame. However, giving up is inexcusable.
I don’t really know how to write about this team anymore. I went to the game on Tuesday against, allegedly, the Chicago Blackhawks, but really the Rockford Ice Hogs, for Joe Bowen commemoration night. They won that game. They also didn’t show up. To have that effort when celebrating the most beloved non-player member of this organization is inexcusable.
The next game against Washington was where Craig Berube gave up. The game after that against Nashville was pathetic. I’m sure tonight‘s game against Dallas will probably be even worse. And even if it’s not, do we care? Say they put on a good showing against Dallas somehow, does that change anything? Not for me. Craig Berube should have been gone yesterday. I literally never want to see Mark Savard or Derek Lalonde ever again. Brad Treliving has plenty of pizza money; he’ll be fine. This team ain’t it, man. They’re not fun to watch, they’re not pleasant to listen to. Everything that comes out of the mouth of a player or coach who isn’t Oliver Eckman Larson is an abdication of responsibility. It feels like they’re sleepwalking towards giving Boston the sixth overall pick.
I hate this team
I don’t know how to write about this team anymore. I am literally walking down a beach in Mexico, struggling to find words that aren’t curses. Who cares about the strategy and systems when the guys either won’t or can’t play them? The Leafs have virtually no assets aside from the players in the lineup, which to me means fire sale. Do you want or trust Brad to do that? I certainly don’t. So then what?
Assuming the rumours are true, Pete Deboer will be the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs sometime soon. It’s very clear Berube cannot continue. The Leafs then probably go on a run, as usually happens when a new coach comes to town. But then what? Nobody actually thinks this team can do any amount of damage in the postseason.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: every word written, every drop of ink spilled about this team right now is meaningless. Changes are coming; they basically have to be, and so we’re stuck in this god-awful holding pattern where the team is just so unwatchable.
I don’t know how to write about this team anymore. I still will. Somehow, on this walk, I’ve managed to get enough words out. I haven’t really said anything. This team is bad, man. There’s nothing else to say.
I’m going to go back to my vacation. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really involve disconnecting from this team. I will say experiencing yesterday‘s loss in Mexico rather than Toronto was objectively better. We’re just waiting for something to happen. Literally anything. Please, dear God, let it happen soon.
Keith Pelley needs to clean house, start all over again and hire someone currently available with a stellar reputation like maybe Brendon Shannahan, to fix this mess. Then the new President should hire a top notch coach, like maybe Mike Babcock to make the players accountable. Also, hiring someone like Lou Lamarillo to assist would be a great idea too! Unfortunately, we traded our first round pick to Boston yet again, although it is top 5 porotected, meaning Leafs will get the 6th pick in 26!