OK Leafs....

With the Chicago Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup last night it a dubious distinction has fallen upon the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have gone the longest without winning Lord Stanley's Pail. To be honest the St Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings have been playing in the league as long as the Leafs drought has gone. However, the Kings have been to the finals once and the Blues have made it to the final round three times.

Since expansion in the summer of 1967, the Toronto Maple Leafs have not even played in the Stanley Cup Finals.

I don't know where to begin. For such a storied franchise in the heart of the biggest hockey market in the world, the Leafs have not held up their end of the bargain. I realize as people come and go the organizations should be re-evaluated but they did not look very good last year and there are not a lot of signs pointed to them doing much better next year.

Well there is one predictor of their performance. They have a loud GM who spouts off at a regular basis. Things haven't got better since Brian Burke has rolled into the Big Smoke. He says he has a plan and maybe he does, but he has a long way to go and has yet to impress me.

The Leafs have gone the longest without even making the finals, maybe they will turn it around but I don't see how they plan on doing that.

Leafs Get Burned by Flames

The Calgary Flames beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 in front of a national audience on Hockey Night in Canada. The Flames didn't look real good. For a lot of the game they were playing flat footed and running around in their own end. Additionally, Calgary was out shot 40-22. So how did they win?

A couple of superstars came and played. Mikka Kiprusoff played very well making 38 saves and Jarome Iginla scored 2 goals on three shots tonight. That's really all you need to get the rest of the team through.

A bigger problem is the Leafs are not very good. They do not have very good goal tending. They do not have much for offence. Their defence does not prevent attackers from getting to good scoring chances. I don't want to keep ragging on the Leafs but they are just getting worse.

On the flip side, the Calgary Flames look like they have what it takes to go places. They have a coach who demands performance and is not afraid to let you know if you are not performing. They have a good defensive corps. They have scoring. They stand up for each other. They are physical. They are a team. Maybe we should see a lot more of Calgary on Hockey Night in Canada. It is becoming apparent to me they have a lot more going for them than the lowly Leafs.

When I really look at it I think there are two key problems with the Leafs.

They are the most valuable franchise in the NHL and put out one of the least valuable products.

They have an arrogant blowhard as a General Manager. Brian Burke sure likes to talk and be argumentative, but has not produced any results in Toronto.

I am going to continue to cheer for the Flames and rag on the Leafs as I see no other way.

The Bet

I made a bet last winter. I think it was a safe bet. I think I will eventually win. I don't know I will win, but there are several indicators that I have a reasonable chance to win. Of course if you have met me you may not be on my side.

I bet my friend Brad (who does amazing card tricks) that I will be married before the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.

I know what you are thinking, Brent is an amazing human being, how could he lose.

This is more a commentary on the Maple Leafs. This is not a comment on their failure on their spelling. This is a failure on their organization.

Here's the scoop. The Toronto Maple Leafs charge more for tickets than any other team in the league. I understand, they are part of one of the biggest hockey markets in the world and can charge the money they get. The seats are full for the start of every game.

The New York Yankees charge more than any team in Major League Baseball. I understand, they are part of one of the biggest markets in baseball markets in the world and can charge the money they get.

The difference is the Yankees win. A lot.

I do not have an intimate knowledge of either organization's business, but I believe that eventually you must have a winning team to keep the ball rolling.

The Leafs have not won a championship since expansion. This is whey I made The Bet.