If the 1988-89 season had a highlight for the Maple Leafs, it was probably a six game winning streak on the road. (Oilers fans can probably see where I’m going with this). I’m pulling together some data on winning streaks on the road and, by and large, if you hit five games, you’re talking about a very good hockey team, a 95 point club or so, in the days when that meant something.
MC79 takes a look at what you can tell from a team's ability to put together a string together some road wins. You'll never guess where he's going with this and I'm not sure you'll ever be able to forget the conclusion so be forewarned.
about 2 years ago
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Good read, lot of conjecture but well done.
Just so you don’t have to do the math, if the Leafs keep this ‘win 2 lose one’ thing going, they will have 95 points at the end of the year(i think, did the rough math in my head this morning while driving to work.)
Also, it’s super slow here even for a non game day.
"If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
Albert Einstein
by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Dec 13, 2009 7:36 PM EST reply actions
Counterfactual history.
I don’t think that as Leaf fans, we can be blamed for indulging ourselves every once in a while.
aw man
I love MC79’s stuff, but this one hurts the heart…. in the middle of a season where nothing’s going the way we want it to either (except for PHIL KESSEL!!!!1 and Kaberle, it seems) this one it’s a bit….. low.
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
by Karina on Dec 13, 2009 8:01 PM EST reply actions
Good god. Looks like I’ll be drinking tonight.
Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.
by Down Goes Brown on Dec 13, 2009 9:09 PM EST reply actions
so...
‘if the leafs had won less games, they would have drafted higher’.
usually i like his stuff, but that’s a pretty lame read.
Yesterday is dead, but not my memory.
Well, I think the Oilers are on a good run on the road so it ties into that. Plus, there’s the bit about how the Leafs’ fared against the other bottom feeders and the counterfactual stuff.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
It probably would have benefitted from...
me explaining how rare 6 game road winning streaks have been for teams as bad as the Leafs in the past 25 years. 29 6 game win streaks on the road in 25 years, three by teams below .500. Only with the Leafs can you make any sort of compelling case that it changed the franchise’s history and possibly cost them a Cup.
Geez
Reading the recaps made it worse because they were winning games they had no business winning.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
The Islanders recap was my absolute favourite. Four goals on four shots in the second? One of them possibly thrown into the net by Ed Olczyk? Kerry Fraser, of all people, being the guy who determined that it was a good goal? A loss in that game might have meant Sundin and two Cups? The pathos of it would kill me if I cheered for the Leafs.
I think the lesson to be learned is that even if it looks like Kerry Fraser is doing something to help the Leafs he is actually fucking them over huge.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
This team is by far better than the 89 team.
That team played their average game most of the year and got bounced, played over their head for a streak and barely managed to win.
This year’s team (although not great by a long shot) started off by under-performing and is only now firing on all cylinders.
At least thats the way I choose to look at it.
"If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
Albert Einstein
by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Dec 13, 2009 10:17 PM EST up reply actions
Nice try, MC79
If the Leafs were able to draft Mats Sundin, Toronto wouldn’t have traded Wendel Clark for him and who knows what kind of team would have existed in the mid-1990s.
Oh, wait…I think I made myself even more sad.
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
If we're doing counterfactuals...
Would the Leafs have even traded for Gilmor if they had Sundin? Maybe. Or maybe Calgary insists on Sundin being included in that trade.
...rely a bit to heavily on alcohol and irony...
by My Poor Friend Me on Dec 14, 2009 12:03 AM EST reply actions
I thought about this...
Given the relationship between Fletcher and Gilmour, I say yes. Fletcher understood the value of having two great centres – the Flames had GIlmour/Nieuwendyk in 89. Calgary might have wanted Sundin but I don’t know where they would have been in a position to demand him.
Really, the only reasonable position is that beating the Isles cost the Leafs two Cups, I think.
Conversely
The 1990-91 Leafs with Sundin probably aren’t the disaster that they were in reality. No disaster, no Fletcher. No Fletcher, no Gilmour.
Leaf, the universe and everything.
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