Why am I cheering for the Leafs?

I am cheering for the Leafs. Yep, the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. I have not fallen on my head, sniffed gasoline, or have been drinking in the past couple of hours. As a devoted Sens fan, my loyalty must be questioned, no? I mean, as a Sens fan, I must hate the Leafs.

For starters, there was a day I hated the Leafs. I don't dispute that. In fact, I am sure I will come to hate them again. However, I feel that I should be cheering for them to make the playoffs. For those fans of the Montreal Canadiens, I want to tell you that I am also cheering for you. However, to anyone reading this, they are probably still wondering why I am cheering for the Leafs.

So, here it is. First of all, I am not afraid of the Leafs. As well as they seem to be playing right now, I know that there is no way the Leafs can beat the Sens this year. They do not have the goaltending, and they do not have the depth on defence. Kaberle is a great player, but cannot carry the Leafs too far into the playoffs. Also, in all likelihood, the Leafs will never get to see the Sens. If they happen to make the playoffs, they will face some formidable opponents. I doubt they will be able to make it to ROUND 2.

For the record, as much as a Leafs fan may dispute it, the Leafs do not hold an edge on the Sens. In fact, for that Leafs fan, I say you are an idiot. First of all, neither team has the same players as those years where the Leafs were able to beat the Sens. From the Sens, I can only think of 4 players (Alfredson, Phillips, Redden, and Spezza (who was a healthy scratch for most of the series)) that were a part of that team. The coaches have even changed for each team. In fact, Brian Murray has only lost like 4 games in 2 years against the Leafs as the head coach of the Sens.

Now, I also want to knock down some Sens fans for hating the Leafs. There isn't really a good reason to do so anymore. In fact, the Leafs have failed to deliver any sort of competition against the Sens in the last couple of years. The Leafs have improved somewhat this year under some good coaching from Paul Maurice (ie. they are no longer losing 8-0 to the Sens), but how can you continue to hate a team that doesn't give you any competition. It like going to the bar and picking up the ugliest girl there. It's too easy. There's no pride in that.

If the above were statements to "not hate" the Leafs, the following are reasons to even "cheer for" the Leafs. The Leafs are a Canadian team. Under the cap system, the Leafs have no additional advantage of being a large market team. Since the Leafs could buy success, it was a reason to hate them. They no longer have that luxury. The Leafs have the largest fan base in the NHL. There is no disputing that. They may be some of the most obnoxious people on earth, but it makes the NHL playoffs that much more fun. The NHL needs the Leafs in the playoffs. They make it interesting.

So, those are my reasons for cheering for the Leafs. Once they are into the playoffs, I will cheer against them. That being said, I would love for the Sens to be playing the Leafs in a later round. It means that the Leafs have knocked off a really good team. I know the Sens will win, and I will be happy.

GO SENS GO!