Vesa Toskala, Comic Genius

Far be it from us to take pleasure in our favourite team’s misfortunes...but as much as we love the Maple Leafs, we had to laugh after Vesa Toskala’s incredible blunder against the New York Islanders earlier tonight. If you missed it, we’ve included the YouTube clip...which was probably unnecessary, since the play—a goal scored by New York defenceman Rob Davison from his own goal line, a distance of approximately 200 feet—is about to become one of the classic bloopers of this or any other NHL season. Toskala is one of the reasons the Leafs are even on the fringes of a playoff race this late in the year; to his credit, he waited until the season was essentially over from a competitive standpoint before earning his place in hockey infamy.

Immediately after the goal, CTV Sportsnet analyst Nik Kypreos declared it to be a career-altering gaffe. We respectfully disagree: ultimately, it was little more than a fluke, and Toskala at least had the benefit of making his mistake in a relatively meaningless late-season game (unlike, say, Tommy Salo). Plus, he got the last laugh: the Leafs ended up winning 3-1, and Toskala made a crucial last-minute save on Mike Comrie which led to the third Toronto goal. Still, in what’s been a forgettable year for the Maple Leafs, his blunder gave fans something to remember—even if it was for all the wrong reasons. We can take pleasure in that...right?