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The Geriatric General Is Delusional
Matt Stajan was eight years old the last time Pat Quinn was considered to be the NHL’s best coach. That’s right… this season will mark fourteen years since Quinn was at the top of the game. So with the way things unfolded for the Maple Leafs and Team Canada this year, one might expect him to quietly disappear into retirement. Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case. Although Torontoist may not be a big fan of Quinn, they would never wish for the energetic coach to lose his mind. Sadly, it may have just happened. Following the Leafs victory over the Islanders on Wednesday night, Quinn stated that his team will make the playoffs. Understandably Leaf supporters are on a high right now, with the team recording points in each of the past 9 games. It’s the same classic symptoms that Leaf Nation has been plagued with for too long now. A few wins and the Stanley Cup is now a sure thing, management is praised, contracts are extended, and everyone forgets that Jean-Sebastien Aubin isn’t Martin Brodeur.
Perhaps with this being his twentieth and likely final coaching year, Quinn is like a desperate player at the end of their career, delusionally dreaming of Stanley Cup glory. Well a wakeup call is on the way. After seeing teams like the Islanders, Bruins and Panthers during the winning streak, the Leafs now face the Ottawa Senators at the ACC tomorrow night. If you include the preseason, this will be the tenth time the two teams will play this year, with the Leafs winning zero of the previous meetings. It seems like Quinn’s dream and career are about to be over.