Grange writes column that begs ridicule

Beware the salvaged season.

It's understandable, after a week of tumult, that the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans would take comfort in Brian Burke's determination to reassemble the wreckage after his hand-built team drove off the cliff in February, with Ron Wilson's job the casualty.

In comes Randy Carlyle, out rolls an inspired team, beneficiaries of some competent goaltending for once, and the Leafs can come to work Monday stirred, not shaken after their much-needed 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

More (Although you may get dumber reading this)

Shacks’ Take: So Grange’s answer to a struggling team is tank.  Should all teams that are 3 points out of a playoff spot start throwing games or should this tomfoolery be saved only for teams unfortunate enough to reside in Toronto.  Is it the players that should stop trying to win or management?  Please keep espousing your wisdom on the subject; I’m rapt with fascination. 

Wouldn’t it make for great sports if every team that got 3 points or more out of a playoff spot (or should we get more teams into the act and reduce it to 2 points) with over a month left in the season decided to give up.   Given the brilliant logic of this article there would be nine teams in the NHL tanking right now with more to come every day. 

It would be a hockey fans dream to watch Toronto versus Tampa Bay on Hockey Night in Canada and see the creative ways players and coaches would try to give the two points to the opposition.  They could decline the penalty or if that’s not allowed just play power plays 4 on 4. They could pull the goalies early, like the first period and play without one.  Maybe Grange would get a chance to play because they could pull fans out of the crowd as part of ‘Be a Leaf For a Day’ help us tank promotion and start them at centre. Sticks with no blades, great idea. Monkeys on skates, throw 'em out there.  Shoot it in the wrong direction in the shootout, brilliant.  
Since a dozen teams or more will be tanking by Grange's theory within the week, imagine all of the creative ways teams will come up with to get from the 6th to the 4th draft spot.  It could make for compelling television.  I could riff on this all day it's so much fun. 

It may be true to suggest he Leafs would be better off if they lost, it’s ridiculous to suggest any team should throw games while in the middle of a playoff race.