Stuck in suck

It's early.

Very early.

Almost too early.

Let's remind ourselves that perennial winners and sleeping giants usually always wake up at some point to construct campaigns of worthiness and more.

However those expectations apply to few in the NHL and certainly exclude the likes of the Maple Leafs.

How did things go so wrong so quick?

It's very possible that winning the run off the top was an aberration. That fearless tenacity over the first four games, short lived because typically that's all mediocre clubs can muster up. No, you can't win them all, but you can play like you want to. The Leafs performed nowhere near the level of a winner on Saturday night. It's no secret, they were sadly lacking against the Flyers. No passion. No hustle. Few smarts. Little organization. The list of lack goes on.

It was the culmination of catastrophe I was expecting.

There's just something about playing the Islanders that spins the Leafs into a dreary malaise. It's happened before. It's happened again. Blame Roloson. Blame Tavares. Blame whomever on that sorry franchise, or simply blame the Leafs for another display of lack when the direct opposite was desperately needed. The poor Isles have never really been able to carry over their efforts against the Leafs into games against other teams. They're stuck in suck. Same goes for the Leafs, at least since 2005. And every time the Leafs indicate they're about to get going those Islanders suck them back into their world, where there's always plenty of room at the bottom.

What's next?

The Panthers creep into Toronto on Tuesday playing as poorly as those Maple Brothers, but unlike their non-playoff cousins Florida's ineptitude is reflected in the standings. Luckily for the Leafs that four game win streak has granted them a buffer from the league's worst. To keep it that way points had better keep coming in. And while it's not the futility streak from hell, one too many of these single point weeks and the Leafs can not only kiss that buffer zone goodbye, but another non-playoff season hello.

So, as of now...

because they've sorrily suffered this past week we know that the Leafs aren't as good as their grand entrance billed them to be. By next Sunday they could be headed for 30th with a bullet -- or -- if they can somehow slam the brakes on this skid, get back to tantalizing a depraved nation that's dying to be turned to some good fucking hockey.

Unfortunately, without consistent evidence that better is really coming with the Leafs, it's hard to bet against what their history continues to prove.

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