TORONTO (Nov. 7) — I am forever baffled over the propensity, in this sports market, to draw conclusions from one day to the next. Starting with the first shift of the National Hockey League season. And, continuing for the usual 6½ months that the Maple Leafs are in uniform. It’s happening again — even in this kind of “throw–away” season before the jumbo contracts of Mitch Marner and John Tavares come off the books. In a three–night span, last weekend, the Maple Leafs graduated from blasé bums that couldn’t score against a pair of non–playoff teams (St. Louis, Minnesota)… to absolute darlings after flummoxing their hottest Division rival: blanking Boston, 4–0, for their first home conquest of the Bruins since Bobby Orr’s rookie year (I’m exaggerating). The exhilarating triumph was achieved in the absence of the club’s top marksman, Auston Matthews, whose mystery ailment will keep him sidelined for the consecutive home games, this Hall–of–Fame weekend, against Detroit and Montreal.
When it comes early March and the NHL trade deadline, won’t it look silly having been so presumptive in the first month of the schedule? I wrote a blog after the consecutive losses, two weeks ago, against Columbus and St. Louis saying the Leafs looked “bored”. Which isn’t particularly uncommon for the Core–4 version of the team. All that matters, of course, is that the monotony subsides before the Stanley Cup hunt begins. The Leafs have positioned themselves whereby the regular season is a massive slog of 82 exhibition games. Enough of which must bear points in order to make the playoffs. An otherwise–simple task for the Nylander–Marner–Matthews–Tavares contingent. So, naturally, these Godlike figures are going to mail it in a dozen or so times between October and mid–April. It’s in their DNA, no matter who stands behind the bench and which bodies fill out the playing inventory each year. Everything Leafs emanates from the Core–4; in every direction: downward through the roster and into the upper reaches of ownership. This is, presumably, why the decision makers have been rather paralyzed since the 2021 playoff debacle against Montreal. After which a fundamental mutation of the roster was necessary.
HAPPINESS FOR THE LEAFS WAS A RARE HOME TRIUMPH OVER THE BOSTON BRUINS THAT RINSED THE TASTE OF A LOST WEEKEND IN ST. LOUIS AND MINNESOTA. MARK BLINCH GETTY IMAGES/NHL
So, why not just accept that the Maple Leafs are going to, periodically, drive you crazy. As do most underachieving teams. Nothing of significance is likely to change about the posture of this group. Even if, again, we tend to draw conclusions from a moment in time. On Mar. 13, 2022, as the Leafs and Sabres were battling outdoors at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Matthews got mad and cranked a Buffalo player about the head. Newspaper columnists, TV reporters and sports psychologists all examined the rare display. Many agreed that No. 34 had finally (and suddenly) adopted a mean streak. Fast–forward more than 2½ years to the next time Matthews became openly irritated — clobbering Ryan Suter in St. Louis, last Saturday, after the veteran had knocked Marner on his ass. Predictably, a column appeared suggesting that thuggery will henceforth be anticipated from the new captain.
If on schedule, however, Auston’s next heinous act will occur toward the end of the 2026–27 season.
In the meantime, the Core–4 Leafs always try harder when Matthews is out of the line–up. How else to explain a splendid, 36–19–2 record. If Billy Beane (he of Moneyball) were a hockey executive running the Leafs, Matthews would be playing for much–less compensation. Or, certainly, elsewhere. Nothing more than the club’s aforementioned mark without No. 34 would be required for Beane, the former Oakland A’s architect, to conclude that Toronto has colossally misspent on its “greatest” player. But, no one around here wants to read about that. Right?
TWO YEARS SINCE BORJE
For me, and surely others, Hockey Hall of Fame weekend will never be quite the same. Not since the heart–rending images of Borje Salming, the great Leafs defenseman of the 1970’s and 80’s, crying so openly while making his last visit (in November 2022) to Toronto. Terminally afflicted with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Salming showed supernatural courage and obstinacy to fly here from Sweden accompanied by a machine that suctioned phlegm from his throat. Even in its relatively early stage, ALS had robbed Salming of his ability to swallow. Still, he was determined to attend that last Hall of Fame weekend. And, spend some final moments here in town with his closest Maple Leaf pals: Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald and Dave (Tiger) Williams.
This image, from TSN, spoke a million words:
Salming, gazing toward an emotional Sittler during a pre–game ceremony on the Friday night. Darryl’s an old softie and he broke down several times while noticing how much the occasion meant to his Leafs teammate from 1973 to 1982. The pictures were unforgettable. Just more than two weeks later, Borje died in Stockholm. He was 71. And is considered, to this day, alongside Tim Horton as the greatest Leafs defenseman of all time.
This does not, of course, detract from the 2024 Hall of Fame induction. I’ve been privileged to know David Poile for more than 40 years; back to when he was Cliff Fletcher’s chief lieutenant with the early–80’s Calgary Flames. David, of course, went on to a remarkable career as general manager of the Washington Capitals… then, the expansion Nashville Predators from 1998 to 2023. He built the Western Conference championship team that lost to Pittsburgh in the 2017 Stanley Cup final. It’s no wonder that he began with Fletcher. They were — and are — two of the nicest people in the history of the sport. Now they’ll reside, together, in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Kudos, David.
THE CHINA WALL CENTENNIAL: Were he still alive, Johnny Bower, the most–beloved figure in Maple Leafs history, would turn 100 on Friday. The clutch goalie of the 1960’s Stanley Cup dynasty was born in Prince Albert, Sask. on Nov. 8, 1924. He played for the Leafs from 1958–69. Then, spent the remainder of his life as a treasured ambassador for the team. And, the game. There was never a big Leafs commemoration that didn’t include the man known as the China Wall. When he succumbed to congestive heart failure on Boxing Day 2016, Leafs Nation lost a charm. Johnny and his bride, Nancy, are both now resting in peace. It was my honor to know them.
CHRONICLING THE BLUE JAYS AND THE 1987 COLLAPSE
IN THESE 12 CARDBOARD SCRAPBOOKS — EACH MEASURING 14.5 x 12 INCHES — ARE NEWSPAPER STORIES AND BOX SCORES FROM EVERY TORONTO BLUE JAYS GAME BETWEEN APR. 4, 1984 AND JUNE 7, 1988. A TOTAL OF 706 CONSECUTIVE GAMES IN THE REGULAR SEASON. AT A TIME WHEN THE FRANCHISE BEGAN TO CONTEND. TORONTO MADE THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1985. AFTER BUILDING A 3–1 LEAD IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES, THE JAYS FELL VICTIM TO THE UNPARALLELED BAT OF KANSAS CITY’S GEORGE BRETT, WHO LED A THREE–GAME COMEBACK AND A GAME 7 TRIUMPH AT OLD EXHIBITION STADIUM. THE 1987 CLUB APPEARED CERTAIN TO AGAIN CLAIM THE A.L. EAST, BUT A STUNNING COLLAPSE IN THE FINAL WEEK OF THE SCHEDULE (AMONG THE MOST BRUTAL IN TORONTO SPORTS HISTORY) ALLOWED DETROIT TO WIN THE DIVISION. THE BLUE JAYS AND TIGERS MET SEVEN TIMES IN THE FINAL 11 DAYS OF THE SEASON. AFTER BUILDING A 3½–GAME LEAD OVER DETROIT, THE JAYS INFAMOUSLY LOST SEVEN STRAIGHT, INCLUDING THE FINAL THREE MATCHES AT LEGENDARY TIGER STADIUM.
I KEPT TICKET STUBS FROM THE GAMES I ATTENDED AT EXHIBITION STADIUM IN 1984 AND 1985. TOP PRICE WAS $10.50.
THE FATES BEGAN TO PUSH BACK AGAINST THE BLUE JAYS IN GAME 1 OF A FOUR–GAME WEEKEND SERIES (SEP. 24–27) AGAINST THE TIGERS WHEN STAR SHORTSTOP TONY FERNANDEZ CRACKED HIS ELBOW (ABOVE) ON THE WOODEN FRAME OF SECOND BASE AFTER BEING UPENDED ON AN AGGRESSIVE SLIDE (NO LONGER PERMITTED IN THE MAJORS) BY VETERAN BILL MADLOCK. IT TOOK THE LUSTER OFF A 4–3 VICTORY THAT WIDENED TORONTO’S LEAD ATOP THE A.L. EAST TO 1½ GAMES. THE GREAT TORONTO STAR COLUMNIST, JIM PROUDFOOT (BELOW), COVERED THE MATCH.
THE FRIDAY NIGHT SECOND GAME OF THE SERIES (ABOVE) LOOKED TO BE GOING DETROIT’S WAY. THE TIGERS BLANKED THE JAYS THROUGH EIGHT INNINGS AND TOOK A 2–0 LEAD INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH. AT WHICH POINT MANNY LEE — A LIGHT–HITTING SHORTSTOP — POKED A TWO–RUN TRIPLE DOWN THE RIGHT–FIELD LINE AT EXHIBITION STADIUM, SENDING 46,233 INTO A FRENZY. WHEN LLOYD MOSEBY SMACKED A BALL DIRECTLY AT DETROIT SECOND–BASEMAN LOU WHITTAKER, THE GAME WAS HEADED TO EXTRAS. OR, SO WE THOUGHT. INSTAD, WHITTAKER SHORT–HOPPED A THROW TO CATCHER MIKE HEATH AND LEE SCORED THE WINNING RUN FROM THIRD BASE. AN UNTIMELY ERROR FOR THE TIGERS THAT DROPPED THEM 2½ GAMES BEHIND TORONTO IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST.
AS IF FRIDAY WASN’T CRAZY ENOUGH, THE THIRD GAME OF THE SERIES — ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON — VENTURED TOWARD SURREALISM. THE BLUE JAYS TRAILED, 9–4, AFTER FIVE INNINGS. BUT, THEY CHIPPED AWAY AT THE DEFICIT AND A PINCH–HIT, BASES–LOADED TRIPLE BY VETERAN JUAN BENIQUEZ (ABOVE) IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH PROPELLED THE HOME TEAM TO A MIRACULOUS, 10–9 COMEBACK VICTORY THAT WIDENED THE LEAD TO 3½ GAMES ATOP THE A.L. EAST. AT THIS POINT, NO ONE COULD ENVISION THE BLUE JAYS NOT WINNING THE DIVISION.
LOOKING FOR A FOUR–GAME SWEEP THAT WOULD HAVE ALL–BUT FINISHED OFF THE TIGERS, THE BLUE JAYS HAD THE BASES LOADED ON SUNDAY (ABOVE) WITH TWO OUT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 11th INNING; FUTURE HALL–OF–FAMER FRED McGRIFF AT THE PLATE. RELIEVER MIKE HENNEMAN GOT THE “CRIME DOG” TO FLY OUT TO CENTRE FIELD. A BLOOP SINGLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 13th BY KIRK GIBSON THAT LLOYD MOSEBY OF TORONTO CAME WITHIN INCHES OF CATCHING PROVIDED DETROIT A 3–2 VICTORY AND A 2½ (RATHER THAN A 4½–GAME) DEFICIT ATOP THE A.L. EAST.
FATE CONTINUED TO HOUND THE BLUE JAYS, WHO LOST STARTING CATCHER ERNIE WHITT (ABOVE) ON MONDAY NIGHT TO FRACTURED RIBS IN A COLLISION WITH MILWAUKEE SECOND–BASEMAN PAUL MOLITOR. NOW WHITT AND TONY FERNANDEZ WERE GONE. BOTH THE JAYS AND THE TIGERS (AT HOME TO BALTIMORE) LOST, KEEPING THE MAGIC NUMBER AT 4 AND THE DIVISION LEAD AT 2½ WITH FIVE GAMES LEFT. AS IT WERE, MILWAUKEE WOULD SWEEP THE BLUE JAYS IN THREE MATCHES AT EXHIBITION STADIUM WHILE DETROIT SPLIT FOUR GAMES WITH BALTIMORE. IT LEFT TORONTO JUST A ONE–GAME LEAD HEADING INTO THE FRIDAY–SUNDAY SEASON FINALE AT TIGER STADIUM.
IT WAS AN EXHILARATING START FOR THE BLUE JAYS IN DETROIT, AS MANNY LEE TOOK FORMER JAY DOYLE ALEXANDER INTO THE RIGHT–FIELD UPPER DECK AT TIGER STADIUM FOR A 3–0 LEAD IN THE SECOND INNING OF THE FRIDAY NIGHT OPENER (TOP–LEFT). BUT, TORONTO’S JIM CLANCY GAVE MOST OF IT BACK IN THE BOTTOM OF THE INNING. DETROIT SCORED TWICE, THEN ADDED TWO RUNS IN THE THIRD, AND KNOCKED OFF THE BLUE JAYS, 4–3, TO SQUARE THE LEAD ATOP THE A.L. EAST. THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON MIDDLE GAME (TOP–RIGHT) WAS HEARTBREAK FOR THE VISITORS. JACK MORRIS (DETROIT) vs. MIKE FLANAGAN, WHO PITCHED HIS ARM OFF OVER 11 INNINGS, STRIKING OUT NINE TIGERS. BUT, A LIKELY DOUBLE–PLAY BALL WITH THE BASES LOADED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 11th SKIPPED BETWEEN THE LEGS OF SHORTSTOP LEE AND THE TIGERS GRABBED A ONE–GAME LEAD ATOP THE DIVISION. THE BLUE JAYS WOULD HAVE TO PREVAIL ON SUNDAY TO SET UP A SINGLE–GAME PLAYOFF FOR THE A.L. EAST.
FINALLY, PREDICTABLY, IT WAS OVER. A COMPLETE–GAME, THREE–HIT GEM BY BLUE JAYS STARTER JIMMY KEY WASN’T ENOUGH TO PUSH HIS MATES OVER THE TOP. THE VISITORS SIMPLY COULD NOT GET A CLUTCH HIT OFF DETROIT’S FRANK TANANA, WHO BLANKED TORONTO, 1–0, ALLOWING THE TIGERS TO FINISH TWO LENGTHS AHEAD OF THE DEVASTATED BLUE JAYS. TORONTO SCORED FIVE RUNS IN THE THREE–GAME SERIES. NOT ENOUGH. IN THE END, THE JAYS AUTHORED ONE OF THE EPIC COLLAPSES OF ALL TIME, LOSING THEIR FINAL SEVEN GAMES OF 1987 AND BLOWING A 3½–GAME LEAD WITH ONE WEEK TO GO. THE LEGENDARY COLUMNISTS FROM OUR CITY HAD THEIR SAY, BELOW.
EMAIL: HOWARDLBERGER@GMAIL.COM
