It’s my Parting Shot for my Weekend Short Shots…..
Boy, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a dumpster fire. I know, I know, that has been obvious from the get go this season, but you know you have serious issues as a team when your captain and best player is the victim of a knee-on-knee hit and nobody goes after the perpetrator, the notoriously dirty Radko Gudas, to exact some revenge. No matter the sport, when someone does something nefarious to your team-mate, your brother or sister, you organically stick up for them. No-one on the ice at the time for the Leafs did that and it makes you wonder a lot of things about Toronto’s N-H-L team! Are they just playing out the string? Is Auston Matthews not a well-liked team-mate? Are the players just interested in their own play and situation? All of the above?! No matter the answer, the Maple Leafs need an overhaul in the off-season!!
On another hand, there’s the Edmonton Oilers who appear to play as though they just want to win by scoring more goals than they allow. While that sounds like the obvious intent of the game, you do so by playing some defence and receive better than average goaltending. The Oil doesn’t have either of those and didn’t address them at the trade deadline. Then, there’s the reports of in-the-dressing room squabbles between goalie Tristan Jarry and other members of the Oilers, which isn’t a good thing whatsoever if true! Last night in Dallas, captain Connor McDavid got fed up with the team’s play without possession of the puck and tried to take out his frustrations on members of the Stars. McDavid has given the Edmonton management and fans of the team just three seasons of commitment to win a Stanley Cup – and I don’t like their chances in Year 1, based on the way they tend to play!
Plus, the other Canadian-based N-H-L team that was on the losing end of a score last night was my Winnipeg Jets. They dropped a 6-3 decision to another team not currently in a playoff spot in the Rangers, at home no less, but the word from management, coaches and players is that they are bound and determined to catch a post-season berth! Not like that they aren’t!! Seriously, my Jets should give it up – they’re six points behind the second and final Western Conference playoff spot, but also have four teams to pass to get there, so make it like 10 points to make up because of the presence of three-point games that are still ridiculous in my humble opinion!!
That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!
