Posted by Lokileby at fibre242.63.nas.net on January 22, 2004 at 23:46:01:
So I've been talking about hockey a bit with friends lately and these are the two things (they are kind of intertwined) that have come up several times in conversation so I thought I'd share them with you all, as I have discussed hockey with several of you in the past.
First of all. Over the Christmas holidays I actually had some time to sit down and read the paper. On the front page of the sports section there was an article about the Leafs (who were then near the end of their killer point streak) and the NHL in general. This particular author, I can't recall his name, mentioned that 7 teams had separated themselves from the rest of the league. These teams were Philadelphia, Toronto, New Jersey, Colorado, Vancouver and Detroit and St. Louis if I remember correctly. I hope this guy is eating his hat. Suddenly the NHL has become quite competitive (moreso anyways). Teams now in strong positions are the previously listed 7, plus Ottawa, San Jose, Boston and even Montreal (perhaps even more but these are noteworthy).
Suddenly the NE Division has exploded. Toronto loses their streak and goes into a partial slump. Meanwhile 3 other teams from the division go on impressive streaks of their own. Toronto's foothold in the division is hanging very precariously. This seems to be without a doubt the division with the most competition. Leafs are going to have to step up to keep ahead in that division.
Its definitely been a stressful month for a Leafs fan....