LEAFS DAILY
The Leafs haven’t played since losing 5-4 to Ottawa last Saturday and they play tomorrow night in Columbus. While it is a long layoff for the beginning of the season, it’s certain that with the Blue Jays playing in the playoffs and the Leafs (most likely) facing a year of losing and building, that not too many people really minded.
The game yesterday against the Rangers was a reminder of why I like to watch sports in the first place. Watching and cheering for Toronto teams for the last twenty years has made me forget (and subsequently appreciate) just how incredibly fun it is to be glued to the TV for every play, jumping around, hugging people and just generally acting like a child (in the whimsical carefree sense of the word).
I was a kid when the Jays last won, so the only two games I have to put what I witnessed last night into any kind of context were the Leafs 2002 and 2011 games against Carolina and Boston, respectively. As anyone reading this is surely aware, those games ended in soul-crushing defeat and disappointment, so yesterday’s game was unreal. It’s actually hard to describe without overdoing the hyperbole, so I won’t even try.
But I will say this: watching the Jays get through an elimination game with three home-grown pitchers and knowing that as much as I care about the Blue Jays, I care about the Leafs ten times more, it made me realize that for a team only months into its rebuild to already have Marner, Nylander and Rielly (not to mention Gardiner and Kadri) is pretty amazing. You just look at the Jays and how the city is reacting and it’s crazy to think what might happen when the Leafs eventually get deep into the Playoffs.
Marlies & Prospects
Speaking of the home-grown prospects, the Marlies are also the victims this week of weird scheduling, having played two games back-to-back last weekend and then being off until Saturday.
The Marlies won both games they played so far and William Nylander had a goal and an assist, with Leivo, Campbell and Froese all also picking up two points each as well.
In the OHL, Mitch Marner (London) is off to a great start scoring three times and adding four assists in five game. Travis Dermott (Erie) has three assists in six games.
Speaking of Marner, I must one again implore you to watch this video if you haven’t already seen it.