Stanley Cup does not have Toronto in it, why?

Photo courtesy of Tom Szczerbowski

 

Article by Candid Frank Stanisci, @candidfranklive

Columnist & Host Spanglish Sports World and Spanglish World Network

 

TORONTO. -  Here it is finally... the Stanley Cup Final. It has the defending Champs up against the reigning Chumps. Relax, Hab Fans, the fact is Montréal was the lowest playoff qualifying team this year and a play on words is always a writers right. Montréal can go from worst to first, not a bad motivation, and not a rare occurrence in the NHL playoffs. When the NHL Officials tuck the whistles in their pocket the talent gap becomes more and more irrelevant.

 

The Canadiens are the standard bearer for what it takes to win as a group of foot soldiers. Montréal has a first line center who could be a candidate for the Conn Smythe trophy without having scored a goal in the pkayoffs. Jacque Lemaire anyone?

 

Teams like the Habs have buried teams like Tampa more often than not. The Bolts learned that lesson the hard way. Unlike other organizations like the Maple Leafs Tampa made the change immediately, without tipping their hand in preparation for the challenge. The Bolts brought in players like Maroon without hesitation at a reasonable cost, unlike the Maple Leafs.

 

The hesitation and resistance by the Maple Leafs Organization cost the Buds dearly. Look at where they sit at the draft, tantamount to beside the kitchen or worse the washrooms. Not a pleasant place to be situated and tainting the experience.

 

Brave moves not predictable ones win Championships. Waiting, stubbornly wanting to win your way is costly. In sports it is always the "bending not breaking" is the best rule of thumb.

 

Montréal fired their Head Coach; the elevated Assistant Coach is sidelined by Covid-19. Now they have a 3rd Head Coach in less than half a season.

This Montréal team reflects their GM tough as nails and winning is the only option. Bergevin won in Texas which is why the Molson’s brought the PROVEN winner back home.

 

Having said all that, the Lightening have the ability to play any way you like. Only short-sightedness would count them out.

 

The Leafs on the other hand are an organization that are in over their head, like they were, led by other versions of Kyle Dubas, George Junior and Gord Stellick. Lots of hope intelligent, good people, well liked, lacking the ability to put together a winner.

 

Dubas has done so little with opportunities he inherited. Matthews is an American kid who could in a few short years decide to go home with a better shot to win a Stanley Cup and no one would begrudge him that. Toronto Sports Fans have seen that movie before.

 

By Dubas' own signings he believed he had 4 of the VERY best players in the NHL in his 1st year.

 

The follow up seasons have been nothing but abject failures full of excuses for losing, and plenty of different answers on how to lose. The clock is ticking, now on Shanahan, a full house cleaning is in the cards. If not MLSE, may feel a worse pressure from the fans that led to Shanahan’s arrival.

 

Shanahan is responsible for Dubas he tossed the defending and reigning GM of the year to keep Kyle. Another season like this one will be the end of Shanahan and company. The NHL is results driven, a word that cannot be used to describe the Toronto Maple Leafs right now. Driven no, careening yes.