All, or Nothing?

 Simon B

Back in January of this year, Amazon and the Maple Leafs decided that they would be doing an in-depth documentary about the Leafs' season titled: "Toronto Maple Leafs: All Or Nothing". 

When I heard that news I was really intrigued to see how it would come out. Amazon has done this type of series before with other major sports teams around the world including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, and the LA Rams. I've watched the series about those teams and it's really well done. The behind-the-scenes access that they give you is second to none and you really feel what it's like to be on the rollercoaster that is a professional sports season. 

Naturally, when the Leafs announced they'd be doing this, I was really looking forward to it because not only was I going to get to see all the ebbs and flows that the club goes through but I had a feeling that this year, they would finally get over the hump. However, we all know what happened and the excitement to watch the series has drastically diminished.

This doc not only needs to entertain viewers but it also has the monumental task of getting Leaf's fans hyped up for another 82 regular-season games plus playoffs. If it's done right, however, this will undoubtedly be a big success.

Trailer

I watched the trailer and the first thing that I noticed was that they mentioned that they lost again right off the bat. Yes, it's a sad reminder that they did lose again but it also shows that the series won't just be a build-up to another springtime collapse. 

There were also glimpses of meetings behind closed doors. I really hope to see a lot of those because I, like most leaf fans want to know what was said a crucial turning points throughout the season. Hockey is a sport that is very hard to gain restricted access too and most teams don't like when everyone can see what's going on. But this is a chance for the team to connect with their fanbase by making them seem like they were in on the journey as well. 

Moments

That's something the Leafs are never short of. Sure the defining moments of the season are rarely good ones with this franchise but there are moments that changed the course of the season and from outside all we got was the usual dry and scripted interviews from a few players. But I think what we really want to see is how they really reacted to moments like the blown 5-1 lead to the Sens, the Jason Spezza hat-trick, the Freddy Andersen saga, and of course the first-round series. 

We always wonder what went right or in most cases, wrong, with the team and this will maybe help us understand how things happen and what may need to change.

The Collapse

I don't think there's a way to approach the series loss in a way that won't make fans mad. So in that case, I think that around the second -last episode, they need to put fans through all the pain and suffering possible. Remind them how much hope they had but also remind them that at the end of the day, they lost, again. Make it hurt. Follow it up with the departure of Zach Hyman, Freddy Andersen, and that weird few days of Jared McCann.

But after all that, they should follow it up by introducing the new guys. A fresh look at the season to come. Make them feel different about a new set of faces coming into the dressing room fully motivated to succeed. I'm sure every one of those players wishes to be part of the team that breaks the curse and will be remembered forever. 

This is a chance to introduce Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kasa, and Petr Mrazek and allow the fans to know them a bit before the season starts. Hopefully, the energy will be back up again by the time October 12th rolls around. And then will begin to find out if this season is all or nothing.

Shoots Left and Writes is also doing Radio Updates on Dave's Faves, the Saturday afternoon show on CKOL FM in Campbellford. You can check out the latest episodes on their Facebook page!

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Thanks for reading!

Images Courtesy of Amazon Prime on YouTube