Monday Morning with Mitchy

"You're too small."

“You’ll never make it.”

“We just want someone bigger and stronger.”

Those are probably the nicest things anyone has ever said to David Desharnais.

How many times do you figure he’s been called a midget, gnome, dwarf, little person, shrimp, umpa lumpa or troll? 

I’ll venture an educated guess, many. 

Desharnais is above and beyond the Canadiens best candidate for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. 

Never drafted to the NHL, despite posting back-to-back season of more than 100 points in the QMJHL. 

One season in the ECHL with 78 points in 60 games. And an impressive stint in the American Hockey League. 

But when he performs well at the NHL level, there’s always a reason and it’s never his good play.

The naysayers will say, he benefited from playing with Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole when he posted 60 points in his first full NHL season.

The same would apply for his career year, this season, except substitute Thomas Vanek for Cole. 

So when he performs, everyone else given the credit. 

And when he doesn’t perform, bring out the pitchforks. 

After a horrid start to the season, everyone was questioning GM Marc Bergervin’s decision to resign Desharnais. Things got so bad that Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre demanded via twitter that Desharnais be given “a one-way ticket to Hamilton.” But certainly, his wingers weren’t to blame, right…?

Even with the name calling, the doubters, the hatred and vitriol he faces… all he does is persevere. That’s something that should be celebrated and it is in true spirit of the Masterton Trophy. 

The fan base believes the team is too small and that it has been for a long time. And they aren’t wrong. But sometimes, you have to sit back and enjoy the talents that you have because bigger isn’t always better. 

He’s not too small.

He has made it 

Bigger and stronger isn’t always better. 

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are the laughing stock of the NHL. 

The epic game 7 collapse to Boston last spring. 

This time, an epic 8-game March losing streak taking them from a home ice advantage team in the first round, to not making it to the dance all together. 

And maybe the most frustrating thing to Leaf fans should be that what plagues the team couldn’t be more evident, yet management chooses to ignore it. 

Dion Phaneuf isn’t a number one, Carl Gunnarsson isn’t a number two, Cody Franson and Jake Gardiner can’t play in their own end, Tim Gleason can’t skate and Paul Ranger shouldn’t be in the NHL. 

Their defense is awful. 

Until they fix that glaring issue, they’ll continue to be heavily outshot, have to rely on their goaltender to steal games and will go through stretches of games where nothing seems to be going right. 


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The Slick Awards: 

Size doesn’t matter: David Desharnais, Theo Fleury, Marty St Louis, Martin Gerbe, Brian Gionta, Cam Atkinson.