The Tao of the Leafs

It appears that some are trying to tag the Allison, Tucker, O'Neill with the monicker - The Oat Line. In the uncreative world of NHL hockey acronyms based on last names seems to be the only way to go. Unless you're a line of youth - in which case you are automatically the kid line, or you bare a resemblance to an earlier line - in the Leafs case the reincarnation of the Crazy 8's (Lindros, Domi and Kilger).

So allow me to be just as uncreative, I propose the Tao Line.



OK, first off you have to pronounce it wrong for the letters to work but we can ignore that.

It perfectly captures the balance represented on the line. The grit of Tucker with the finesse of Allison. The playmaking of Allison with the finishing of O'Neill. The corner play of Tucker with the open space play of O'Neill. When Allison controls the puck he slows down the pace of play to a Zen-like state.

They have become like Dancing Wu Li Masters in accepting that your opponents are not the enemy, they are your partners. They have accepted their deaths on the battle field and having lost that fear come out victorious.

Um, maybe not.