:( Oh My Toronto!! :(

[Gaikoku-hito 2,080]

Oh My Toronto!!

 

 

After Game 3 of the Play-offs between Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers today; yes today I am in Japan so it end around 11am; if I remember correctly; but I was wondering who is the VHL equivalence to the Toronto Maple Leafs. You know that team that always has a lot of promise but also seems to come up short or blow the opportunity ahead of them.

 

 

And before anyone argues that Toronto Maple Leafs haven`t blown their chance consider the best team in the East has been eliminated in the Boston Bruins, three-time finalist Tampa Bay Lightning and Eastern Conference Finalist New York Rangers meaning Toronto had a clear run to Stanley Cup finals considering they are supposed to be the best team remaining in the East.

 

 

So, who is this team in the VHL? (If I can actually find the spreadsheet, I might actually give you some data)

 

 

New York Americans? Well, they have the current longest Cup drought at 34 seasons (S54 – Present) but I actually don`t remember the last time this team made the play-offs and gave their fans a false hope like the Leafs. It has been nine seasons since the NYA has actually made the play-offs as the last time the made it was S78 as a Wildcard team. S73 if you don`t count the wildcard games as play-off games. In the end the NYA are more like the Buffalo Sabres as Buffalo hasn`t seen post action play in 12 seasons or won a series in 16 seasons.

 

 

Riga Reign? It has been 15 seasons since they last won the cup and many remember how this team loaded up in the great draft of S75. This led to two play-off appearances in those players careers in S76 & S79 before the team was forced to restructure and rebuild slowly recovering from that disaster but are they the most like the Leafs? I guess they could be but Leafs at least made the play-offs. I think they are more like the Edmonton Oilers; Great players but never a great team thus missed the play-offs more often than not.

 

 

Prague Phantoms? Here is a team that has missed the play-off only four times since S74 and have always if I remember correctly had good teams similar to Riga through S75 until S83 when the team was forced to rebuild or retool. The team never made the finals during the first part of that era but have made the finals in S86 losing to Vancouver. While my first player played on the roster from S75 until S82 and add in the fact that the top three players in Franchise history played on that team; one could also make a solid case that Prague was like the Leafs.

 

 

Davos? Would have been a contender but they made the finals last season so it hard to claim a team that actually makes the finals as similar to the Leafs when we are talking more about a team that chokes and never makes the conference finals let alone the finals when expected too. 26 season and counting is a long time without a championship so I guess the argument could be made even with failing in the finals last season.

 

 

Is Toronto like Toronto? Nope, just wanted to use that saying and that is mainly due to the fact that I don`t remember the last time Toronto in the VHL wasn`t rebuilding. 22 season and counting is a long time without a cup.

 

 

Helsinki? Nope, while they have a long drought running at 21 seasons. They have really been a non-factor in the play-off picture since S78 with only one appearance since that time in S84. Again, outside looking in as I write this. More like the current Vancouver Canucks; good but not good enough to make the play-offs?  

 

 

Moscow? Nope, They make the finals before they lose so they are in fact the Dallas Stars (1-5) or the Philadelphia Flyers (2-8) of the VHL as Moscow is (1-7) in Finals.

 

 

Either way, I don`t think I have the answer so Who do you think are the Toronto Maple Leafs of the VHL?

 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Gaikoku-hito