Toronto Maple Leafs

I could’ve given a 4-​star out of sarcasm, but cannot do this due to my loyalty to another team… and thankfully not those bandwagon Canucks lol.
Just this little reviews on such a historic, perennial losing franchise? Or maybe the hockey fans aren’t Unilocalers, shame on them… otherwise, there’d be over 1,000 easily to trash this team.
From the west coast perspective, I’m actually impressed with the sellouts and their lack of exciting hockey. Look, when you have former coach Ron Wilson, saying your best goal scorer is a ‘2 weeks on, 2 weeks off’ (paraphrasing a bit from the TSN radio), you cannot win with Phil Kessel. Granted, he’s a talented scorer, that needs a real centerman, like a power forward to get him the puck to score. Not sure if Kadri fits that bill, he’s a #2 centre for life.
Bozak as your top centre, to go up against the likes of Getzlaf or Stamkos? Forget about it…
If it wasn’t for the corporate crowd, no one would be crazy enough to pay these prices.
Sorry Leaf fans, believe me when I say that I root for you guys over the Canucks, it’s best for hockey TV ratings if TML can get into the playoffs as it makes the CBC atmosphere. but can’t see it happening with this lineup.
Poor coach.

This review will probably get me lambasted from 90% of fellow Torontonians, and maybe 50% of Canada, but this team gives me headaches.
Since birth, I have followed the Leafs and am considering changing sides to the dreaded Habs… yes I’m that upset.
List of my Leafs fandom roller coaster:
a) Harold Ballard Era — yuck, nuff said.
b) Steve Stavro/​Knobhill Farms era — Knobhill farms is defunct, just like the Leafs Stanley Cup chances every year
c) Cliff Fletcher/​Doug Gilmour era (while owned by the Teacher’s Pension Plan) — two good years and ripped off by the Wayne Gretzky «legal stick».
d) Pat Quinn era — good enough to get into playoffs, but gave up draft picks to do it, hence more years of mediocrity
e) John Ferguson Jr era — Eric Lindros, Jason Allison past their prime? Really? Terrible again.
f) Brian Burke era — set up the team a bit better for the future, but Leafs only made the playoffs once and then blew a 4 – 0 lead in the 3^rd period in game 7 against the Bruins. I think Canada’s healthcare costs increased by 50% that day.
g) The present — While set up good for the future, they are insanely frustrating. They can look like champs in one period and look like bottom feeders the next period. Tired of this roller coaster ride.
Worst of all — they still freakin sell out every night an exorbitant prices.
Verdict: I may have to become a Habs fan… or a Canucks fan… ugh…glad my passion isn’t hockey anymore and it’s food. :-S

A hat trick, penalty shot, plus come from behind win for the home team. What else do you need to see for a great game in an original six city?

I’ve had this review sitting in my queue for several weeks, and I wanted to wait until their season was over before finishing it off.
I’ll be honest, a near decade of no playoff appearances, ownership changes, coaching changes, heart-​aches, heart breaks, and ridiculously priced tickets have made me a pessimist, add to it this years strike and I had decided I was on strike from hockey this season.
Then something beautiful happened, our team of youngsters started to amaze even me, the most negative and critical fan. They made the playoffs, not by the skin of their teeth barely eeking into 8ths place but did so in a convincing fashion finishing 5^th in the East.
Moving into this years playoffs, the had to take on one of their biggest obstacles, the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, whom they had lost 9 of their last 11 meetings to. A team that certainly had their number! But did they give up? NO! Our boys in blue pulled it together and took Boston to the edge of a 7^th game in overtime before losing to a more experienced squad, NOT a better squad.
I write this review of your performance to say THANK YOU! Thank you for a fantastic season and proving to Toronto fans that we really do have one of the best teams in the NHL and we «BeLEAF» in you all!
With renewed faith in our team, I anxiously look forward to supporting you guys without a question next season!!!

If you live outside the Centre of the Universe, you get annoyed by the constant national coverage of this losuy team (plus the fact they are on TV on Saturday no matter how good they are… the Dan Daoust ‘80s were the worst).
Call them the Laffs or the Make Beliefs, they are something all Canadians can point as an example of the pitfalls of Tarrana being in control of our nation’s sports media. Plus why are they not called the «Leaves» and why blue? Is it so cold in T.O. that the leafs all turn that Protestant blue in winter there, Doogie?

Original six team that holds only a candle to les glorieux for most oldest, storied and winningest hockey franchises in nhl history although Detroit is closing in quickly for second place in terms of cups. Leafs Nation are a devoutly faithful lot with the Maple Leafs fans regularly cheering on the home team and selling out near every game even though the team has not won or been in a final since 1967, dare I say back in the days of black and white photography?
And how do they retain their sellouts with their expensive ticket prices (some of the highest in the league), high presence of bankers/​corporate types at the games, dearth of valuable prospects in the system (here’s hoping Burkie changes things), MIA playoffs in recent years? The answer folks is the sheer eternal optimism of Leafs Nation, the earnest, the eager, the militant who continue to stand by the buds year after year… which is why 3 stars goes out to local team in spite of their recent cup record.
I conclude the review with my standard leafs joke:
Q: How do you know it’s spring?
A: When the leaves are out