OK Leafs, stop being losers

The front page of the Chicago Sun-Times captures the essence of the moment.GOOD ON the Chicago Blackhawks. The young squad finished off the tenacious Philadelphia Flyers in six games last night, ending the club’s 49-year Stanley Cup drought, the only Original Six team whose dry spell was longer than the Toronto Maple Leafs’.

What a strange goal to end it all, though. Other than Chicago forward Patrick Kane — who scored – no one in Wachovia Center, nor anyone watching at home on TV, knew where the puck had gone. The red light didn’t go off. Talk about anti-climactic. The moment wasn’t made any better by the dead silence of the Philly crowd:

The Hawks don’t give a hoot how it happened, though – they’re the frickin’ champions baby!

Truth be told, it’s the television announcers who got screwed last night, at least the CBC Hockey Night In Canada crew I was watching. When Kane scored in overtime, the broadcasters were left sounding puzzled, dumbfounded – the dudes had no idea where the puck had gone. Awk-ward.

Man, sucks to have covered the playoffs for the past few months — let alone to have busted your hump all your career — comforted by the knowledge it will all pay off when you get to call that Stanley Cup-winning goal … except the winning goal is crap, no one sees it go in, and you’re left looking, and sounding, like a butt-head.

But anyway, that’s all she wrote for the 2009-10 hockey season. Canadians can now focus on enjoying our four-week summer (ooh, and awaiting the NHL entry draft!). And all eyes here in Toronto now turn back to the Leafs, who’ve officially just become the shitiest of the Original Six teams.

The clock is ticking, boys.

ryan@roadtostarrdom.com

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