It’s been an eventful week in Leafland. Since the last fan therapy, the Toronto Maple Leafs have gone 2–1–1, including an away win against the seemingly unbeatable Colorado Avalanche, a multi-goal collapse against Mitch Marner and the Golden Knights, and a come-from-behind victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
The Leafs are playing good hockey. A far cry from the beginning of the season, they look like they are working together and are starting to roll. Of course, the good times only last so long. William Nylander returned from injury, and then, while stopping to celebrate a goal in the VGK game, re-aggravated his ankle. Par for the course for Leafs fans.
No more January slog for the Leafs
In the past, I’ve written about the slog that starts to set in around this time. For the past decade, the Leafs have basically been guaranteed to make the playoffs. It’s what happens after the season ends that matters; the regular season was a foregone conclusion. This season, it’s anything but. First of all, the Atlantic Division is a powerhouse even if there is no clear runaway. The Leafs currently sit out of the playoffs, one point out of the second wild card spot. It’s going to be a grind to just make the postseason this year. This means that, unlike previous years, we’re not just waiting for the end of the season, because additional games are no longer guaranteed.
For someone who consumes the vast majority of Leafs games during a season, this is perversely good news. The main reason is that these games are now significantly more interesting. The points matter in a way that they didn’t as much over the last little while. Each game can see the standings shift in a meaningful way; the Leafs can go into and out of the postseason multiple times a week. This is exciting.
A new attitude towards the playoffs?
The second reason has more to do with superstition. Since basically 2018, the Leafs have coasted into the playoffs, and we all know the results (or lack thereof) of those years. While it is widely attributed to him, it is unlikely that Albert Einstein ever said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” but it’s a damn good quote. Based on that definition, we’re all insane several times over. I said at the start of the season that this year feels different, and I stand by that.
Maybe the expectations are lower; in fact, they certainly are. Beyond being a worse team on paper than last year, the start of the season reset expectations quite severely. We’re now not only jaded because of years of history, but we’re also jaded because just a few months ago, this team looked like a bottom-of-the-table OHL squad. Maybe this will be different. Maybe fighting the whole second half of the season to barely squeak into the playoffs will give this team a different kind of spark. I don’t know, man, I’m grasping for anything.
A good time to be a sports fan
It’s a good time for a sports fan. Football means every single weekend is interesting, exciting, and heartbreaking (being a Bills fan is a special kind of pain that’s very familiar in Toronto). The Olympics coming up means both that there’s a ton of hockey leading up and after it, and that we have an international best-on-best tournament to look forward to. Baseball spring training starts soon, and Formula 1 returns in a couple of months. Also, it’s actually sunny here in Toronto, so maybe I’m feeling a bit more positive this January weekend.
Let’s wrap it up in a sort of mini “state of the Leafs fan.” Usually around this time, I’m struggling to fill the word count and find anything interesting to say (ignore the fact that my saying this implies it is true again here). I’m usually writing about the slog and challenge of watching a team play seemingly meaningless games while waiting for the inevitable disappointment.
This year, I’m still expecting disappointment, but maybe not as great. More than that, though, this team is interesting to watch. Even this week, as a small snapshot, was fun! Beating Colorado was exhilarating, getting smoked by the Mammoth gave us something to talk about, the Marner bowl made us sad and upset, but coming back against the Jets reinvigorated us. There are games and events to look forward to, and in the shadow of all of that is a bona fide fight for a playoff spot. This January feels different; let’s hope May is as well.
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