Eliminated from playoff contention in the last week of the season. In the words of Bill-O, you can't explain that. It's safe to say that a litany of things have happened this season that nobody saw coming. From the solid contributions of Crabb, Boyce, and Brent to the emergence of Optimus Reim as a possible goaltending saviour. In the end the Leafs were what most of us thought they would be, a playoff bubble team. How they got there was unpredictable and the most exciting stretch of hockey I have seen from this team since the lock-out. There is light at the end of the tunnel. We can all breathe a little easier and lift our heads a little higher. 

In honour of the Leafs I penned a manifesto. My inspiration came from this template that has been floating around the inter-pipes. Take a look, and use the template to create your own. 

Someday, it will be different.

Someday, there will be Leaf games in June.

We have endured the bad.

Witnessed the worst.

No one can know when, but there will come a day that will render all those preceding it meaningless.

Stanley.

Cup.

Champions.

On that day the weight of the world will be lifted from our shoulders.

When there is no one left to defeat. 

When the final minutes elapse.

When mortals become deities.

Those of us who have had the fortitude to suffer the peaks and the valleys will realize the return on the investment

of our time, our energy, our hopes and our dreams.

Immortality.