from Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey,

There’s no pleasant way to say this: the Leafs suck. I don’t mean that to trash talk. It’s simply the way it is. They’ve missed the playoffs every season but one since the end of the season-killing lockout of 2004-05, and then only made the playoffs in a lockout-shortened season.

Over the past three years the Leafs have been among the league’s worst puck-possession and defensive teams. Those figures quoted by the hockey analytics nerds might piss off some fans and pundits, but they’re not wrong. They weren’t wrong last season and they’re not wrong this season. By the way, nerd is no longer an insult. They rule the world now. Deal with it, jockstrap.

What is it about the Leafs over the past decade which has thwarted the otherwise shrewd hockey men brought in to manage and coach this team?

read on