Maple Leafs fans still romanticize another era more than the Matthews years

A Reddit thread proves the 1998-2006 Maple Leafs are still as popular as ever, with fans still yearning for the days of Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker, and Curtis Joseph.

For context, the Reddit thread was posted in February but the sentiment remains strong. When a post asked fans which Maple Leafs player they felt embodied the franchise most, there were a litany of answers.

Borje Salming, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour, and Dave Keon were all listed by fans however when scrolling through the thread, you tend to notice a pattern - it's dominated by a specific era.

Names such as Mats Sundin, Gary Roberts, Curtis Joseph, Darcy Tucker, and Tie Domi all appeared numerous times with fans yearning for years gone past:

Sundin, Roberts, Tucker, Corson, McCabe, CuJo. Reichel. Hell even Mogilny, Berezin, and Kaberle have more "Leafs" identity in their pinky fingers than anyone who has worn the sweater since. - maple905

TIE DOMI YOU NERDS ! - davy0880

Sundin for me but I'm biased cause he's my favourite. But the guy seemed to really like playing for the leafs, which is something I feel like is sorely missing in Toronto. - SilentHillSunderland

The Cujo era didn't have as many stars, but they sure had success

Granted, the Maple Leafs record since Matthews has come in has been a very good one at 440-250-92 (56.3 win%) but they have only made it past the first round twice, and have never made a Conference Finals in the Matthews era.

Contrast that to the Maple Leafs from 1998-2006 where the team had a 300-196-52-26 record in 574 games (52.2 win%) which is lower than the current era, but also managed to make the second round three times, and make the Conference Finals twice - losing both times.

That lineup back in the late 90s-mid 2000s had some firepower for sure with Sundin, Tucker, Alex Mogilny, Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle all potent offensive players. Joseph himself was outstanding with a 133-88-27 record and a. 2.43 GAA and .912 SV% - often finding himself on the nightly highlight reel.

But they also had a ton of role players who added a lot of grit and physicality. Players like Domi, Shayne Corson, Robert Reichel, Travis Green, and Jonas Hoglund may not have had the star power of the above names, but played an equally important role supporting Sundin and the others.

Plus, that era harkens back to a time where there was true passion in the arena. The Battle of Ontario against now-associate coach Daniel Alfredsson and the Ottawa Senators led to legendary playoff battles including in 2004 when Toronto managed a 4-1 win and 4-3 series win after Patrick Lalime imploded in the first period leading to two Joe Nieuwendyk goals.

Or who can forget the physical, no-nonsense matchups with the Philadelphia Flyers, especially in 2003 in which their seven-game series went the distance and included two double-overtime games and a legendary triple OT contest that was sealed after a Mark Recchi winner.

The team may not have won it all but their talent, pure passion, and never-say-die attitude made a serious impact on fans that is still talked about to this day.

Today's Maple Leafs are judged by a standard the previous era never faced

However in this modern age, things are different. While the technology was available back in the late 90s, the ability to analyze, debate, and comment on players has led to a brand new standard that the old guard wasn't held to.

Going deep felt like a real achievement even if the Maple Leafs old never sat atop the standings, meanwhile it's a bit hollow when the team finishes up top consistently but can't go too far in the postseason.

Sure they had some older fans who yearned for the success of the 1967 team, or how the Maple Leafs were once one of the most dominant teams in the NHL - but it was nowhere near as public.

Fans in the Matthews era have been led under the impression that analytics, star talent, and top-tier coaching was the key to success. But that hasn't led to much outside of two second-round appearances and several resets of the roster.

Those Panthers series were intense for sure, and the team's first round win over Tampa Bay was a genuine milestone, but they often fell flat. Six seasons in a row they were eliminated in the first round of qualifying round of the postseason - that's not giving fans much to enjoy.

The Sundin era of Maple Leafs didn't win either, but they also gave fans something to cheer about. Those playoff battles are still talked about to this day, and names like Sundin, Tucker, Joseph, and others are held in such high regard - so much so that Sundin is now a key part of the front office.

Statistically, the Auston Matthews era has been the best stretch of hockey the Maple Leafs have had in decades. They've won over 400 regular season games, have had a multiple 60-goal scorer in Matthews, and have given a lot of hope that perhaps this team can actually pull off a Cup win.

But numbers don't matter to a lot of fans - it's the heart. The Sundin era had a lot more than the Matthews era, which made them a lot more cherished and memorable despite not being as successful.

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