"From the big high of another huge Saturday night win to how low can they go. What a wild ride it's been for the Maple Leafs down the stretch of another almost lost NHL season, an enthusiastic and unlikely late surge for a playoff spot. But barring a near-miracle finish to the spirited and encouraging final two months of the schedule, the Leafs will miss the post season for a sixth consecutive April. And yes, that would continue what is already the worst run of ineptitude for the storied franchise. Prior to last season, the Leafs had never missed the playoffs more than three consecutive times and you have to go back more than 80 years to find it. Worse yet, since the blue and white's previous participation in a best-of-seven series, all but one of the NHL's other 29 times (the moribund Florida Panthers) have qualified for the post-season. In each of the three previous seasons, the now tiresome routine of a late-season run hasn't been enough to get the Leafs within double digits of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference." Read more: http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2011/03/19/17687296.html
