[blueandwhite]

Leafs do it. they beat the Canadiens. they play damn good hockey. They make Huet look like a mannequin. Belfour shines. he's as flexible as a two year old child. Sundin is his old self. kaberle is king.
But the mood has set in. GM says Yeah good show but it doesn't change anything - Ferguson is saying this team will go through changes - post season (which could be very soon).
So great win, but the celebration doesn't happen. It actually feels more like desperation has set in. Because it seems even the brass has resigned itself to believing:
The Playoffs ain't gonna happen.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

Leafs do it. they beat the Canadiens. they play damn good hockey. They make Huet look like a mannequin. Belfour shines. he's as flexible as a two year old child. Sundin is his old self. kaberle is king.
But the mood has set in. GM says Yeah good show but it doesn't change anything - Ferguson is saying this team will go through changes - post season (which could be very soon).
So great win, but the celebration doesn't happen. It actually feels more like desperation has set in. Because it seems even the brass has resigned itself to believing:
The Playoffs ain't gonna happen.

yeah...yeah...yeah...brag while you can...my Blue Jackets went down 1-3...but you win, and your celebration ends by the third paragraph...come on now blueandwhite go the distance on the post...

[blueandwhite]

Thing is, I'm totally stoked by the win - but I open the paper in the morning, and the higher ups are like, Whatever.
I'm there, DK. It's them that disappointed.
isn't it better, if say maybe we don't make the playoffs (ssshh), that we go down fighting? For sure.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

Thing is, I'm totally stoked by the win - but I open the paper in the morning, and the higher ups are like, Whatever.
I'm there, DK. It's them that disappointed.
isn't it better, if say maybe we don't make the playoffs (ssshh), that we go down fighting? For sure.

See there....that's the spirit...Fight...Fight...Fight...you go girl...you got it...win one for whiteandblue girl!...(well, it's sort of like a good slogan)...

[Peterborough]

Just to be a parade rainer...

The Leafs played decent hockey, no question there, but they were playing against a very tired looking Habs team and (for a change) all the penalty calls were in the Leafs favour. That made the Habs even more tired, so they took more penalties, and so on and so on.

Belfour did look sharp. Was he inspired to help sell himself to some miopic GM that might sign him for this and next year? Or if the trade deadline passes and he remains in blue and white will he start to play better - will it be as if the chains of doubt have been removed from his tired shoulders? Or will he start to suck again.

You never know. That's one of the reasons I love the sport so much. You never know what's going to happen.

Anyway woohoo for now. Can they stick it to the Islanders next?

[blueandwhite]

See but this is what drives me nuts - we don't take the win, we make excuses for the other team, which starts to sound like, We were just lucky.
Sure there were a ton of penalty calls on the Canadiens, but does that ever happen to us? all the frigging time. Were the canadiens tired? maybe, but who cares? They shouldn't have been. if they want to keep going and maybe win something, that's not an excuse they can fall back on ever.
i like to say we won fair and square.

[Peterborough]

True. I will say this - when the Leafs play back to back games like that they usually win the second one. A long playoff run demands endurance.

[Vladman]

Looks like we have a lot of LEAF fans in this forum, so I will be gentle.

First 3 games of the road trip ... we were unstoppable. Huet was on fire. Higgins couldn't miss, penalty kill was off the charts, and the killer K's ( Koivu, Kovalev ) were both circling around the opposition.

Then in Philly ... we starting fighting fatigue, came back from 4-2 to send it to overtime on a sick goal by Sheldon Souray. Lose on the 4th shooter in the shootout.

By the time we hit Toronto, all habs fans knew that we were in trouble. Huet needed a break, but can't afford to take one. Our X-Factor Plekanec who had been just money with Bulis on our 3rd line, and a star penalty killer just went down, and we just didn't have the legs last night to not take stupid penalties. We are the better team. fact. And it will be a very different Habs team when the teams meet the next 2 times. You aren't always tired, and timing played in the Leafs hands here. Just enjoy the moment.

[blueandwhite]

no see, i say, there are no excuses. The moment you start making excuses, you look like a sore loser.

[Vladman]

You're right. If you win you win. If you lose you lose, no excuses. But dude ... don't get too wrapped up in that line about winning. There is a difference between the quality of wins and loses. Example:

Habs coming back from 4-2 to tie the game with under 2 minutes to go, only to lose in a shootout: GOOD LOSS - character builder. The team themselves can make excuses because they fought hard. If they didn't play hard, then no one wants to hear their whinning.

Sometimes you get dominated, and pull out a victory. Sometimes you just get a solid individual performance from a star or a goalie. Sometimes you lose but as a team, you've never felt more in sync and with the program. Coaches understand these and other phenomena in sports. You are going to lose quite a bit. Nobody goes wins 90% of their games in hockey. Sometimes excuses are what keeps your confidence up, and BELIEVING you are the best, is more important than having the most ability. The Habs are saying to themselves right now " When we get our legs back, those leafs are fallin down" They aren't saying " they're just stronger then we are". and before the Olympic break, we were in that frame of mind quite a bit.

[blueandwhite]

Yes. Especially re the 'sometimes you lose but it was a good loss'. meaning, they actually showed up. we've had to search those out for confidence this season.