The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't made the NHL playoffs since before the 2004-05 lockout.

With the way they're starting the first month of the 2009-10 season, that streak seems to be a given to continue.

The Leafs tied a franchise record for most games to start a season without a win, as they were soundly beaten 4-1 before a extremely disgruntled crowd at the Air Canada Centre Saturday night to fall to 0-6-1.  That mark matches the 1990-91 team which dropped its first seven contests back when the team was playing in the Norris Division in the Western Conference.  Sadly, that team missed the playoffs, going 23-46-11 for 57 points, 11 behind fourth place Minnesota in the division and were one of just five teams to fail to qualify for postseason play.

Let's see what are big issues for the team so far.  It can be summed up in one word:  EVERYTHING.

They can't score goals to save their lives, as evidenced by the paltry 14 goals they've scored in seven games.  The goaltending has been atrocious, as they've given up 32.  Vesa Toskala has a goals against average of 5.57 and a save percentage of just .812 on the young season.  No Leaf has more than 3 goals or four points so far.  Only Alexei Ponikarovsky is a plus player.  Throw in a trio of players at even, and it's clear that there are major issues.

The +/- numbers would be even worse if the Leafs hadn't surrendered what seems like 87 billion power play tallies.  Mike Komisarek, Garnet Exelby and Francois Beauchemin were supposed to help stabilize the blue line, but it hasn't panned out.  Toskala is on injured reserve, and it seems Jonas Gustafsson is hurt as well.  That left Joey MacDonald to fend between the pipes the last two contests.  At this rate, it might be time to see if Turk Broda can get in shape to play.  He can't do any worse than what we've seen so far.  The big acquisition offensively, Phil Kessel, still isn't playing and won't for at least another couple weeks as he continues to rehab from shoulder surgery.  Those picks that Brian Burke dealt off to Boston to get Kessel look like surefire high lottery picks as it stands right now.

The Leafs now have a week off to try and shake the doldrums before beginning a five game road trip in Vancouver next Saturday night.

How different will this team respond with that much time between games?  How different might this team LOOK by then?  Could it be like the Bowflex commericials where a fat guy suddenly turns into a world class bodybuilder?  Not even the world's best wrinkle cream can hide the flaws in this team's complexion.  Who will fall on their proverbial sword to take the blame for the debacle that has played out over and over again in recent memory?  Will anything change, or will this team continue to flounder and fade, to the brink or irrelevance?  We'll have to see.