I can't believe Toronto Maple Leafs fans booed their team off the ice following a 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers tonight at the Air Canada Centre.
Sure, that's two straight losses for the Leafs, by a combined score of 12-1 counting Saturday's 7-0 shellacking at the hands of the Stanley Cup Boston Bruins.
But the Leafs - who have not qualified for the playoffs since 2003-04 and were not picked by many to qualify this season - remain second in the NHL's Eastern Conference with a 9-5-1 (won-lost-OT loss) record. Nobody expected that. If they say they did, they're lying.
Sure, it's a long season. There's obviously no guarantee this Leafs team will be any better than those that have gone before during recent seasons. But to boo them off the ice tonight after the wins they've already banked and the entertainment they've so far provided - likely more entertainment than they provided over the previous few seasons combined with teams that unlike this one had no apparent potential - is ridiculous. Particularly given the fact their No. 1 goalie, James Reimer, is injured.
And this is coming from someone who grew up a Habs' fan.
Comments