Okay, so I was wrong. Klingberg is no longer an all-star defenceman and it could not be any more obvious. Our goaltending isn’t bad but just terribly inconsistent. Tyler Bertuzzi cannot score playing five-on-five hockey. Domi’s not bad. Reaves got scratched already. It’s not looking good.
The Leafs are not having a great start to the season. They can’t seem to win in regulation, their defence loves giving the puck over to the opposing team, and the bottom six could not score for the life of them. That isn’t even the worst part, though. The worst part is summarized by a quote I read online from the television sitcom Shoresy, “they don’t hate to lose.”
Not every win can be as miraculous as the comebacks against Tampa last year in the playoffs. The only push to win I saw was during the very first game of the season against Montreal, where they somehow willed their way into overtime and won in the shootout. We’ve fired coaches before, we’ve replaced the GM, and the lines have been put in the blender. The only thing we haven’t seen is a big trade, but maybe that’s the only thing that can light a fire under the Leafs’ bench.
This isn’t to say they’re a bad team. They have the skill and the scoring touch—Matthews has three hat tricks this season, and we’re only a month in. Nylander is riding a very hot point streak. Knies is now a regular in the lineup and getting some nice touches on the puck. Things aren’t all bad. But to win a hockey game, a team needs effort along all 200 feet of ice. Without it, there’s always someone to blame but yourself after a loss against teams like the Sabres and Senators – two teams at the very bottom of the Atlantic.
Klingberg should be scratched. We don’t have a clear starting goaltender. Someone, anyone, should have fought Marchand after that dirty play that left Liljegren injured. There’s no clear solution to the problems the Leafs have, just a bunch of opinions and frustrations. But with all that being said, we still aren’t as bad as the Edmonton Oilers, so there’s always reason to be optimistic with our hometown Buds.