Читать книгу Hope and Heartbreak in Toronto. Life as a Maple Leafs Fan онлайн

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The last great achievement of Raycroft is that he managed to make a folk hero out of a man named Jean-Sebastien Aubin. Aubin was a career journeyman who had put together an inexplicable 9–0–2 run when he took over the starter’s job a season earlier when Belfour was hurt and Mikael Tellqvist wasn’t up to the job. Aubin earned a contract extension but Raycroft was anointed the starter when he arrived in town without really earning it. Aubin was forced to sit and wait for opportunities such as the one he was about to get on this night.

With Raycroft playing against his old team, it was obvious the Bruins knew how to pick him apart, and by the start of the third period, his rear end was fastened as tightly to the Leafs bench as the customary cap was on his head.

The Leafs lost 3–0, even though they grossly outplayed the Bruins. They missed the playoffs that season by a single point, and the loss that night was one of a handful that could be identified as crucial setbacks.

But the Robinson household had something else to look forward to that spring, even if there was to be no playoff hockey. Baby number one was on its way. In due course the dizzying whirl that is life for young couples expecting for the first time confirmed that my balancing act on that February night really was a job well done. Even though the Leafs were shutout that night, I had managed to break one past the goalie.