It had to be near heaven last Wednesday if you were a sports fan in Toronto, and frankly Canada, given the situation.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, one of only two Canadian teams to make the National Hockey League playoffs, were in a game seven in Boston.
The Raptors, Canada’s only National Basketball Association team were hosting Washington on game five of their playoff season.
In soccer, TFC was in Mexico facing Guadalajara in the second game of the CONCACAF Champions League.
And then the surprising Blue Jays were playing Boston, the hottest team in the game.
In my case, my thumb was busy hitting the ‘last’ button repeatedly on the television remote, keeping track of all four games as best I could, although my main focus was the Leafs. As I have pointed out repeatedly of late to the better half, it is time to install a second TV so it is easier to follow all the sports opportunities.
While it was an exciting night heading into things, the results were less enticing to a fan.
The Raptors did their part.
DeMar DeRozan played 39 minutes and scored 32, Jonas Valanciunas had 13 rebounds and 14 points, and Delon Wright came up with 18 points off the bench in a 10-point win, 108-98 over Washington to take the lead in the best-of-seven, winning the usually critical game five.
The Raptors went on to game six in Washington 102-92, setting up yet another series against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are not as good a team this year as they have been the last two times they faced the Raptors, but James might be his best-ever, at least by the numbers. It will be up to TO to limit James’ supporting cast if they want to advance, something they have their best chance to do with the roster they now have.
But back to the TO night. The Leafs had won games five and six to even the best-of-seven and they scored first in the pivotal game, leading 4-3 going into the third.
Then, sadly, the wheels fell off.
Frederik Anderson gave up a weak one to give the Bruins the 5-4 lead, and the TO offence was unable to generate many third period shots as the Bruins won 7-4.
Followers of the Leafs knew the team was thin on the blueline. The team failed miserably in addressing that at the trade deadline, and frankly one top-pairing D-man could have been enough to win the series. It was an opportunity lost.
On the positive side, Winnipeg are in the next round in what is likely the premier match-up of this year’s playoffs as they face Nashville. The series is tied 1-1 and I expect this series will be a long one with the winner headed to the Stanley Cup.
And then there was TFC. In Mexico, the Toronto soccer juggernaut started the contest down 2-1 in total goals, having lost game one of the set by that score. Guadalajara scored first, but the resilient TFC squad scored a pair to the two-goal total goals affair.
The series was left to the silliness of a shoot-out. In any sport, shoot-outs are a ridiculous way to decide a game of importance and it is doubly so in soccer where the nets are incredibly large to the point goaltender saves in such situations usually equate to the number of teeth hens have.
That was the case last week, where, on the combined shots by the two teams, no saves were made.
The difference in the game was Guadalajara shooters put their shots into the goal, while TFC bounced one off the crossbar and their final shooter launched one well over the net on a complete flub shot, giving the hosts the win.
As for the Jays, the game lacked the importance of those other TO teams, although wins within the American League East are always big in terms of being in the playoff mix. The Jays were in it, but a pair of Bosox runs in the seventh would give them a 4-3 lead and the eventual win.
Still, the Jays have more or less exceeded my expectations this year, at least early on they were. Of late the losses have mounted and they have settled into third in the AL East, five games out of first and just treading above the .500-mark with a 15-12 record as of Monday. I had the team hanging around the even-steven mark this season, with at least a fighting chance of a second wild card spot, and that looks like what they will be.
Certainly it is the most exciting time of the sports year and that is without looking ahead to the Saskatchewan Rush in the National Lacrosse League West final or the excitement of the inaugural season of Major League Rugby and my growing interest in the American Ultimate Disc League. I really do need an extra TV and a three day weekends to watch it all.
