Complaining about the Leafs' schedule? You're not the only one
For many Toronto Maple Leafs fans, game nights tend to set up the course of their week.
Typically playing on Saturdays just about every week from October to April, and two to three other games sprinkled in from Monday to Friday, Leafs hockey is often as stable a thing as most people might have in their lives.
Unfortunately for most fans, that hasn’t been the case recently.
Since November 11, the Leafs have seen five consecutive days without games, as well as two four-day stretches. Part of the breaks in the schedule were set up for the team to properly adjust themselves to and return from Sweden for a two-game set overseas, but Toronto’s most recent stretch has seen them go the first four days of this week without a single game.
And while it might pique your interest when the schedule first drops, it’s a lot more annoying to suddenly realize there won’t be a Leafs game on for a few days.
Over the last 25 days, just five of them have featured a Toronto game at night in the local time zone, with two of the European games taking place in the morning and afternoon in Eastern time.
Fans online have been sharing their sentiments about how the schedule bugs them.
Why do the Leafs just not play any games? Lol I feel like theyâve played like 3 times over two weeks. The back half of the schedule is gonna be a nightmare for them lol they gotta fit 82 of those things somewhere đ
— One Tee Glory (@OneTeeGlory) December 6, 2023
Wtf is up with all these 4 day breaks in the Leafs schedule
— DJ (@swifty_P) December 3, 2023
LEAFS DONT PLAY UNTIL
THURSDAY. WHO MADE THIS SCHEDULE— Jenaya (@tavmarnythews) December 3, 2023
the leafs game schedule just isnât hitting the spot with all these gaps
— Victoria Stewart (@victoriastewxrt) December 4, 2023
What's up with the Leafs schedule this season. It's fucking weird. I understood having a million games leading into Sweden then none as they traveled but we are on the other side of it now and they play once in 6 days???
— Tortoise Offshore (@Totally_Offside) December 5, 2023
For the players, they seem to be ready for their schedule to ramp up again.
“It’s always nice to be home. Almost prefer to just keep playing and stay in the rhythm,” Auston Matthews told reporters at yesterday’s practice.
“It almost feels like we’re busier with the days off than if we were just playing. But it’s always nice to be home and spend time with your family, your dog, or whoever that may be and just reset and have these good practice days as we head into a pretty busy schedule the rest of the month.”
But for those antsy fans, the team will have quite a busy slate ahead in December, as Matthews alluded to. Starting tomorrow, they’ll play 12 games before the end of 2023, including six games in nine days to kick it off.
Toronto’s next matchup is set for Thursday at 7 pm ET, where they’ll face off against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
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