Go figure

One of the pleasures of being here in Toronto is the Leafs. A pleasure in the sense of the constant attention paid to the team's failures. Success is celebrated but never believed. Failure, the outcome of the last forty seasons, is wallowed in, embraced with gusto, a kind of imagination, even entitlement that once seemed the monopoly of Red Sox fans (and now happily worn by Cubs supporters). While we don't have our Buckner moment (although game six against the Kings in 1993 comes close), we have something even better: living memory of domination uncontaminated by recent success.  Good enough to tease at times, never good enough to dominate for real.

Tonight Canada's Team is in Boston to play the Bruins. We're just over half-way through the second period and the Leafs are up 5-1. That should be a safe lead, but I know that I am not convinced and I am sure that there are thousands of people tuned into the same telecast who feel exactly the same way. 

UPDATE:

Needn't have worried. The game finished 8-2 for Toronto. The Bostons looked pathetic. Now we can look forward to the next round of playoff math handwringing.