The last few years have been tough for Sens fans.
This is now a third straight season of disappointment. This is a passionate hockey market and it has been painful to struggle through three straight bad seasons.
Now imagine going through more than 50 years of disappointment. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This is a team that has not won a Stanley Cup in 53 years. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2004. Think about that for a moment. That’s 16 years without experiencing success of any kind. No Cups in colour. No playoff wins in HD. Don’t let the arrogance fool you folks, the Leafs are a joke.
They know it. We know it. Everybody knows it.
After going through a tear down rebuild backed by unlimited resources, this was supposed to be a time of unparalleled success for the Maple Leaves. Yet with their window rapidly closing (was it ever really open?), the Leafs find themselves scrambling just to make the playoffs.
The brilliant hockey minds talk a big game but their top heavy roster is deeply flawed, their cap situation is a mess and their blueline desperately misses Cody Ceci. The parade route is all laid out though.
If the Leafs do somehow squeak into a playoff spot- a first round loss to the Boston Bruins awaits. Spring is coming and the 18-wheeler is headed straight for that familiar cliff.
Tonight, they’ll fill our barn. They’ll act like it’s a playoff game. On the outside, they’ll seem confident. But deep down, they know more pain awaits for their perpetually disappointing hockey team.
They know it. We know it. Everybody knows it.
Cody Goloubef and Scott Sabourin are in. Mark Borowiecki and Filip Chlapik are out. Here’s how the Senators are expected to line up for this one.
Tkachuk-Pageau-C.Brown
Namestnikov-Tierney-Batherson
Paul-Anisimov-Duclair
Ennis-White-Sabourin
Chabot-DeMelo
Reilly-Zaitsev
Hainsey-Goloubef
Marcus Hogberg is expected to get the start.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7 PM.
I refuse to let Toronto Maple Leaf stats ruin a perfectly good HEAD2HEAD Table.
Fuck the Leafs.
