Around the League 23: No, seriously, how will it work in 2021?

[DaveG]

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[cptjeff]

Nothing's happening. Do we have to make fun of the leafs to kill time?

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Nothing's happening. Do we have to make fun of the leafs to kill time?

#itwas4-1

 

[HisIceness]

I think I remember someone saying the Leafs once lost to a zamboni driver or something. Might have just been one of Steve Dangles meltdowns, not sure.

 

[Canes]

I don't really feel too bad for the Leafs. My father's side of the family as Cubs fans all went much longer without a championship. It still makes the Leafs drought look recent. And for MLB teams, there was no Original Six era where NHL teams passed around Cups like STDs.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

#itwas4-1

Is that Mitch Marner at the front right in the white 17 jersey?

 

[sabremike]

 

[MinJaBen]

They replayed that game this week on the NHL network. It was the HNIC broadcast, so it felt new. And wonderful.

 

[A Star is Burns]

That game was so great. Outside of playoff games, or games with playoff implications, I've never been so anxious counting down to a win. It was just one of those amazing stories that you almost never get to be a part of as a fan but you realize how amazing it is even in the moment. And just the rollercoaster of emotions from shock of it happening, to the joy of padding the lead, to getting a couple nothing shots scored on us and being furious this is happening to us when we need points, to just flat out taking over the game, to the aftermath. It's still unreal, especially considering everything that has happened in the world since.

 

[sabremike]

Please Please Please Mr Dundon: Next time the Leafs play in Raleigh hold David Ayers Night and retire his number in a pregame ceremony. Then if I can convince the Sabres to do likewise for Taro Tsujimoto we can create the greatest year in hockey history!

 

[tarheelhockey]

That game was so great. Outside of playoff games, or games with playoff implications, I've never been so anxious counting down to a win. It was just one of those amazing stories that you almost never get to be a part of as a fan but you realize how amazing it is even in the moment. And just the rollercoaster of emotions from shock of it happening, to the joy of padding the lead, to getting a couple nothing shots scored on us and being furious this is happening to us when we need points, to just flat out taking over the game, to the aftermath. It's still unreal, especially considering everything that has happened in the world since.

I’ve never experienced anything quite like walking the tightrope of what that game’s outcome might have felt like depending on the W or L. It would have only taken a couple more whiffs on soft shots to send me into full tantrum mode about the entire situation. It really is pretty much indefensible for a situation like that to occur in a major league game, let alone one that really matters to end-of-season outcomes.

Counting down that third period, it was like continuously flipping a coin between “your team writes one of the greatest sports stories of all time” and “your team misses the playoffs for reasons that wouldn’t make sense if you explained them to a small child”. That was even more stressful than playoff OT, from the standpoint of emotional turmoil.

 

[raynman]

Most nerve wracking experience as a fan I’ve felt. Never been so excited for a player after either.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I just couldn’t get excited about that game. Obviously, it’s a great story, and I’m glad we won it for a variety of reasons, but the entire night, my mindset was basically “Ok, but we’re still down our two starting goaltenders, possibly long term, in the middle of a tight playoff race. One feel good story isn’t going to change that.”

Somehow, inexplicably, things worked out for us this year despite that.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I just couldn’t get excited about that game. Obviously, it’s a great story, and I’m glad we won it for a variety of reasons, but the entire night, my mindset was basically “Ok, but we’re still down our two starting goaltenders, possibly long term, in the middle of a tight playoff race. One feel good story isn’t going to change that.”

Somehow, inexplicably, things worked out for us this year despite that.

Wow, I'm surprised you, of all people, looked at that situation negatively.

 

[MinJaBen]

Speaking of replayed games, the NHL network is replaying the whole Canes-Toronto series from 2002 today. Game one just started.

 

[DaveG]

Speaking of replayed games, the NHL network is replaying the whole Canes-Toronto series from 2002 this today. Game one just started.

Now I really wish i had called out from work. Though NHL network isn't on YouTube tv so i couldn't watch anyway.

 

[vorbis]

I was in the house with two members of this forum and they can probably vouch for the fact that I spent the entire third period in total disbelief that we were potentially going to pull it off.

when Ayres first came out (well, he came out while I was in the men's room but when I came back to my seat and saw that he was in the game) I was thinking we were going to give up 11 or 12 goals. and the first goal he gave up, I was sure that it was going to be really bad.

but something happened once the third period started. the team was just leaping on every loose puck and dominating possession. I have precious video of the final seconds dripping away, Leafs fans streaming up the aisles out of the arena, and the team swarming Ayres at the buzzer. good times.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Speaking of replayed games, the NHL network is replaying the whole Canes-Toronto series from 2002 today. Game one just started.

This was a hell of a series and probably underrated. Of course, beating the Leafs is fun but there was some great goaltending in this series. The Leafs I think tied two games, including game 6, with like 7-15 seconds left. Secret Weapon OT goal. O'Neill OT goal with the black eye. Gelinas OT goal. I wanna say at the time (not sure if it's still the case) that it was the lowest scoring 6 game series ever and possibly the fewest goals scored by a team in 6 game series with 6 by the Leafs (as dull as that sounds there were some great games and moments as mentioned).

Plus, at least a couple of great, underrated calls. "He looks pretty now. Jeff O'Neill the hero."

"Martin Gelinas. In sudden death overtime. And it's strange but true. Folks, the Carolina Hurricanes are going to the Stanley Cup Finals." Sure, a bit disrespectful of the franchise, but this was the first time we earned any kind of respect really.

 

[Incubajerks]

This was a hell of a series and probably underrated. Of course, beating the Leafs is fun but there was some great goaltending in this series. The Leafs I think tied two games, including game 6, with like 7-15 seconds left. Secret Weapon OT goal. O'Neill OT goal with the black eye. Gelinas OT goal. I wanna say at the time (not sure if it's still the case) that it was the lowest scoring 6 game series ever and possibly the fewest goals scored by a team in 6 game series with 6 by the Leafs (as dull as that sounds there were some great games and moments as mentioned).

Plus, at least a couple of great, underrated calls. "He looks pretty now. Jeff O'Neill the hero."

"Martin Gelinas. In sudden death overtime. And it's strange but true. Folks, the Carolina Hurricanes are going to the Stanley Cup Finals." Sure, a bit disrespectful of the franchise, but this was the first time we earned any kind of respect really.

Pretty sure somewhere at home i have all the calls by Chuck Kaiton.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Wow, I'm surprised you, of all people, looked at that situation negatively.

I expected that comment, but it's not like I didn't appreciate what was happening. It was just mixed in with the worry about what it meant for the team past that particular night.

 

[Incubajerks]

I expected that comment, but it's not like I didn't appreciate what was happening. It was just mixed in with the worry about what it meant for the team past that particular night.

I remember thinking about the match we played there two months before where we lost 8-6 and i was like "oh my god here we go again".

 

[raynman]

I was in the house with two members of this forum and they can probably vouch for the fact that I spent the entire third period in total disbelief that we were potentially going to pull it off.

when Ayres first came out (well, he came out while I was in the men's room but when I came back to my seat and saw that he was in the game) I was thinking we were going to give up 11 or 12 goals. and the first goal he gave up, I was sure that it was going to be really bad.

but something happened once the third period started. the team was just leaping on every loose puck and dominating possession. I have precious video of the final seconds dripping away, Leafs fans streaming up the aisles out of the arena, and the team swarming Ayres at the buzzer. good times.

I was sick to my stomach when Mrazek went out for the puck. I remember feeling like a kid whose candy was stolen after the quick, easy goal on Ayres.

 

[AD Skinner]

Pretty sure somewhere at home i have all the calls by Chuck Kaiton.

Post them if you can find them I'd love to listen

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I expected that comment, but it's not like I didn't appreciate what was happening. It was just mixed in with the worry about what it meant for the team past that particular night.

As Brindy said afterwards, "It's not often, in a game, that you get tied to a great memory. That's why you do this. You'll see when you're done, you'll look back and all you have is the memories that you got, and you guys just gave me one. You gave each other one, but that's a f***ing memory I'm going to have forever."

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I remember thinking about the match we played there two months before where we lost 8-6 and i was like "oh my god here we go again".

That remains one of the worst games in recent memory, because they absolutely gave up on the game well before it was actually over. That was a "fire everybody... preferably into the sun" game.