Tempered Optimism for Leafs Nation

Leafs Nation is riding high after a big win last night against a Stanley Cup contender Pittsburgh Penguins and the first 3-0 start in 11 years...all for a franchise that hasn't tasted post-season play since the NHL lockout.  In offices all over the greater Toronto area, water-cooler conversations are littered with tempered optimism over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  After the statement game Saturday over their Battle of Ontario rivals, my beloved Ottawa Senators, people weren't ready to start "planning the parade" but with the strong game last night, momentum is gaining and people have quietly started suggesting the starting spot.  Being a Senators supporter in the GTA can be challenging and I rightfully receive my fair share of trash-talking when I'm wearing my colours but what has surprised me most about Leafs supporters this season is the softer approach taken when talking about "the buds"...at least so far.

Let me state for the record, I'm an Ottawa Senators fan.  I thought Alexandre Daigle could have been the next Mario Lemieux and I suffered through the years when we had the greater team but couldn't seem to beat the Maple Leafs in the post-season - stupid Joe Nieuwendy & Bryan McCabe.  I think the Sens will finish better in the standings this season but we can talk about the Senators in another post (trust me, it will happen).  Living in Toronto, I've listened to Leafs fan for many years and the tune is a little different this season.  While people still drive around the downtown core in blue & white painted cars, honking their horns after a Leafs pre-season victory, the hometown crowd is cautiously wanting to believe in this current roster.

Brian Burke ponders his
Grand Plan for the Maple Leafs

I have a standing bet with my father when the Leafs play the Sens - $5 per win, $1 per goal.  I'm down $9 after the first game between our teams and I'm really hoping this strong start is just a bad joke.   Rather then gloat and proclaim the Maple Leafs superiority (it's been done many times before), Dad explained why it may be time to believe in Toronto and in the Brian Burke Method, part 2.  The articles are a conversation with Brian Burke about his philosophy on building a team, and hopefully a winning franchise for MLSE.  This struck me as odd...2 years ago, the Air Canada faithful proclaimed Brian Burke had the Midas touch and could have things turned around instantly.  The post-season was a guarantee and those good players signed to crazy contracts during the JFJ era would all of a sudden blossom.  Well, we know it didn't turn out like that (insert chuckle from Sens fan) and finishing 29th in the NHL last season, with no pick in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, had people wondering if Steve Yzerman might consider coming to Toronto.  This season however, Toronto's NHL franchise is off to a solid start.  This would normally spark conversations of the long Stanley Cup drought finally being over...but, as the saying goes, "once bitten twice shy"...or in Toronto, 42 times bitten...  People in the city are happy with the success and the strong start for their team but unlike years before, people aren't running to their garage to pull-out their Maple Leafs car window flags.  Brian Burke was never going to repair the damage done over a few years in only a few months and Leafs Nation is sheepishly acknowledging they might have jumped the gun when he arrived.

Ron Wilson works on his systems
with his new cast of talent

One of my good friends has been to more Maple Leafs home opening games then anyone else I know and has been to every Leafs games so far this season...yes, he went to Pittsburgh last night and is working on going to NY this weekend.  He's a die-hard Leafs supporter but will often be a voice of reason among other die-hard fans.  We recently had a conversation about the strong start and his teams potential for the season.  While he wasn't ready to proclaim a playoff birth after Saturdays win, he did bring up the cast of players shipped out of town last season (Blake, Vesa, Mayers, Stajan, etc) and the new talent being used every night in 2010 (MacArthur, Phaneuf, Versteeg, Armstrong, etc).  His point was, Ron Wilson now had players in his line-up that increased his teams overall hockey IQ.  In his 3rd season with the club, the bench boss is now armed with players that can understand his systems and who will battle every night for the name on the front of their jersey.  His remarks got me thinking about Leafs Nation...could it be that the overall hockey IQ of Leafs Nation has increased after 3 years with Ron Wilson & Brian Burke at the helm?  Sure, the fans battle every night for the logo on the front of their 15 year old jerseys but Leafs Nation finally understands the plan.  They've realized that you need to be bad before you can be good, that you can only run after you've learned to walk and perhaps banging the drum after only 3 games played is a little pre-mature.

The Leafs are off and running this season and currently sit on top of the NHL standings...and yes, I know that my Senators are currently in 29th - sort of ironic...don't ya think?  The goalie controversy in Ottawa might get started if we lose to Carolina tonight and if Toronto wins on Friday, the Sunday issue of the Toronto Sun will have a diagram for the parade route on their front page.

Hockey season is back...now that's a reason for optimism!!!