Detroit Red Wings Villains: 2015 Toronto Maple Leafs

Over the next 30 days, Octopus Thrower profiles every Detroit Red Wings “villain” in the NHL. Today we take a closer look at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Team Name:

Toronto Maple Leafs

Division:

Atlantic

FanSided Foe:

Editor In Leaf

Games Against Them:

Home: Oct 9, March 13th; Away: Nov 6, Apr 2.

Last Year’s Results:

Split season series 2-2

Oct 17 – Red Wings 4, Toronto 1; Oct 18 – Red Wings 1, Toronto 0; Nov 22 – Toronto 4, Red Wings 1; Dec 13- Toronto 4, Red Wings 1

Head Coach:

Mike Babcock (maybe you’ve heard of this guy)

Watch out for these guys:

James Van Riemsdyk, Dion Phaneuf, P.A. Parenteau

Farmhands worth Noting:

Antoine Bibeau, Kasperi Kapanen, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Scott Harrington, Josh Leivo.

Goaltender:

Jonathan Bernier

Sieve or Savior?

Sieve–though a lot of it won’t be his fault.

Why You Scare Us

Well, about the only thing the Leafs have going for them is the fact that they have Babcock behind the bench, and an all-star collection of minds in the front office. Babcock’s maniacal coaching will be good for a few victories, but the Leafs are staring at one of the most difficult seasons in franchise history.

8 Quick Thoughts about the Leafs

4 Things We Respect About You:

1. You’re the mecca of hockey. No one can deny that.

2. The Hockey Hall of Fame sits in your city. I challenge any true hockey fan to dispute the fact that the place is heaven on earth. Not to mention they let you touch the Cup, take pictures with it, etc.

3. Mike Babcock.

4. Brendan Shanahan and what he’s doing. It’s either going to be a colossal success or a colossal failure. But he’s surrounded the organization with some of the brightest minds in hockey.

4 Things We Hate About You:

1. You’re the narcissistic mecca of hockey. My God, we couldn’t enjoy a game last year without having to hear about Babcock’s impending free agency and how he would lead you to the promised land. We get it. You love hockey.

2. Mike Babcock. First, he was the story everytime we played last season. Then, Mike Babcock started speaking in third person. Finally, Mike Babcock chose Toronto.

3. Throwing sweaters on the ice: We know you guys had incompetent management and coaching, but throwing a sweater on the ice after every game got really old–fast.

4. You’re the Leafs. This guy hates you more than even the Blackhawks–and that’s an accomplishment. Tie Domi. Felix Potvin. Wendel Clark. 1993.

Playoff Threat Level (1-10, 1 being minimal)

-5. Do I really need to expound on it?

Final Thoughts

All “hatred” aside, as a die-hard fan of the sport, it’s terrible that the Maple Leafs are this bad. While all the other Original Six franchises have enjoyed success in the last decade, the Leafs continue to wander in the hockey wilderness. While this year will be “painful” according to Babcock, those of us who love the sport and its rich history hope that this season is a step in the right direction for the organization. The idea of a playoff-less season is an aberration for any Detroit fan. Multiply that by a thousand for a legion of suffering Leaf fans. And it extends decades.

Until that success follows, at least you have the Blue Jays.

Next: Corsi 101 or how I learned to love Advanced Statistics