Win Over The Maple Leafs Satisfying No Matter What
Wednesday night the Ottawa Senators got their first win against the Toronto Maple Leafs this season in their second contest against them. They got out to a blistering start, and had a 3-0 lead after the first period. However, after that they sat back a bit, and let the Leafs almost come back as the final score was 4-3.
With that win though, Senators fans all around should be satisfied. There are still fans out there that believe the team can make the playoffs, and of course they will be happy with the win. But there are also plenty of fans like myself who are simply waiting for the draft and just want the Senators to get a good draft position.
Although on many occasions I am secretly rooting for a loss, this game I was wholeheartedly invested in getting a win. Why? Because even though these games against Toronto haven’t meant anything in a long time, it’s always extremely satisfying beating our provincial rival. At this point the Montreal Canadiens are realistically bigger rivals for Ottawa, but there is still burning hatred for the Maple Leafs organization.
One of my favourite parts of every season is watching the Maple Leafs collapse. It’s almost an annual event, and we are in the midst of it right now
The Leafs get all the attention in the media, and the talk surrounding a team that hasn’t been good for over a decade is mind-boggling. Constantly there are idiotic stories on TSN and Sportsnet about whether the team saluted the crowd after the game, fans throwing jerseys on the ice, and Phil Kessel not having the right “attitude.” It feels as if the world revolves around Toronto.
Jan 19, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A Toronto Maple Leafs jersey lies on the ice after being thrown by a fan during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Air Canada Centre. Carolina defeated Toronto 4-1. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
There are many other reasons why I and other fans don’t like the Leafs because of simple things like the players on the team and past history between the teams. Even if the players don’t feel a rivalry against each other, the fans feel it so it’s always fantastic to have the satisfaction of beating the enemy.
I have to say, one of my favourite parts of every season is watching the Maple Leafs collapse. It’s almost an annual event, and we are in the midst of it right now. Here is a graph of the Leafs percentage of making the playoffs for this season. It’s funny because that huge drop off is a carbon copy of their collapse last season, although this years version is coming much earlier.
Watching Toronto lose yet another game to drop to 3-14 in their last 17 games is amazing. Essentially every year the team goes an a run that is completely unsustainable, and then they collapse once their numbers fall off a cliff. It’s predictable to everyone outside of the city, and smart analytical people who look at the numbers are saying I told you so.
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While I am invested in Ottawa’s chances to get a higher draft pick this year (and try to lose more games), I still wanted to see them win against Toronto. All in all, one win shouldn’t be that much of a difference in the standings. I doubt it will come down to moving down a few spots just because of two more points. The one downside from this is, the Leafs could possibly fall even further and actually end up getting a better draft pick than the Senators.
While it’s nice to finish ahead of them in the standings, realistically I would rather have the better draft pick. So yes the win against them was perfect, but the rest of the season I hope Toronto wins just enough to barely miss the playoffs. I fear that that’s what Ottawa will be however, and they will end up drafting around 10-12th.
Even for the few fans that were unhappy with the win and therefore decreasing their draft pick value, there are lots of positives from certain players. Erik Karlsson scored two goals and looked amazing once again, and he looks much more comfortable. Mike Hoffman scored on beautiful snipe top corner and played well also. Bobby Ryan and Mika Zibanejad continue to look good together, and Ryan was very noticeable on the ice, displaying his fantastic set of hands.
Even Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Erik Condra looked great, who both had lots of ice time.
In the end, this win had to be satisfying for all Senators fans. Many players had very good games. They kept their playoff hopes alive ever so slightly. They also beat their arch-rivals and pushed them farther down the drain while kicking the away fans out of the building. Overall, I’d have to say it was a successful night.