These Maple Leafs fans understand the nuances of tanking (Photo)

When NHL fans embrace the tank, there are always these questions about their loyalty and how audacious it is that they’d actively root for their team to lose.

Well, understand this: Ultimately, they’re rooting for their team to win. It’s that insatiable desire to experience the orgasmic jolt of victory that drives this illogical behavior, in which people whose very happiness is determined by the fate of their chosen franchise openly endorses its misery.

Also: It’s temporary. Once that top draft pick is acquired, the Tank Fans drop their nega-pom-poms and pick up the team colors again, approaching the future with the blind stupid optimism that also fuels their desire to cheer against their favorite players.

Which brings us to these knuckleheads.

The Toronto Maple Leafs faced the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night in a game where a loss would have been more beneficial than a win, considering that the Sabres are currently last in the league and first in the draft lottery odds. The Leafs (60 points) probably can’t freefall to catch the Sabres (44), but each loss maintains their odds that they can potentially leap to the top pick in the draft.

So these “Temporary Sabres Fans” attended the game last night, with Buffalo Sabres logos plastered on their hats and jerseys. Temporarily. Proud members of Tank Nation, and prominently displayed at the glass.

Now that’s dedication. Sorta. You know, you won’t be sneering when they show up next season with Connor McDavid’s face taped to their jerseys …

s/t Mackay Taggart