I am not a rocket surgeon. I feel it's necessary to fully disclose this obvious fact at the beginning of this entry. On August 2nd, I published a Toronto Maple Leaf 2005 reality check. In this entry, I wrote the following: "It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to see we're in some serious trouble here...I think this is going to be a particularly painful season...there's a sad lack of skill here."
As I mentioned off the top, I'm no rocket surgeon, and August 11th, after we signed Jason Allison and Eric Lindros, I became rather optimistic. I really felt my team had a chance to finish second in the division, ride hot goaltending and that intangible Maple Leaf grit to the conference final when anything could happen. I started to believe again, as I do every year about this time.
It's time to revisit my reality check. I haven't seen a pre-season game, but I've read a great deal and I've listened at times. We're too slow for the new NHL. Our skill level is too low and our slow, plodding defensemen won't be able to stop younger, faster, better teams of which there are many. The realist in me knows it will be tooth and nail to make the playoffs. The fan in me has already planned the parade.
6 days, 23 hours, 25 minutes, and 1 seconds left. I can't wait.
