11 games to go.

In any of the last ten years, that sentence would be said with anticipation and excitement for the upcoming playoff run. This year, it’s more of a plea for the pain to stop. With the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ latest loss, falling 5-2 to the Ottawa Senators, the Leafs have fallen further out of a playoff spot and closer to a chance at keeping their first round pick.

Simply put, this is the worst circumstances to be cheering for the Leafs under that I can recall since maybe the 2009-2011 seasons. They’re on track to miss the playoffs for the first time since the Auston Matthews era began, and beyond that, the fans can’t even embrace the tank to the fullest extent because if the Leafs don’t finish with a top-5 pick in the draft, they hand a potential franchise cornerstone to the Boston Bruins. The optimism offered from veterans and the coaching staff has not translated to the ice, and there’s a real sense of apathy among the fanbase rather than the usual passionate anger.

Anthony Stolarz was supposed to start this game but took a shot from William Nylander up high and ended up having to leave for medical attention. It was a moment that pretty well sums up how the season has going, aided by the results of the game. They were outshot by a wide margin yet again, further exposing Craig Berube’s faltering system, and they let it all collapse on them in the third period.

There’s no benefit to watching Leafs games at this point of the season. If you’re a fan, you’re getting nothing out of cheering for them because even if you’re an eternal optimist and want them to push for a playoff spot, it’s near impossible for them to make up enough ground to do so. And if you’re thinking long term and want them to improve their odds for a first-round pick, you have to rely on success from teams below them in addition to cheering for failure. It’s a bad place to be if you’re a fan.

The Maple Leafs will continue their limp through the final 11 games on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.