The B Team

With the announcement of Canadas' Olympic team, much has been said about who has been left off, and who should be there. Personally I am quite happy with the selections, shy of Eric Staal (I'm iffy on the Staals).
Got me wondering, however, would a team selected of Canadas remains be competative?
Here is my B- Squad

Forwards

Stamkos– StLouis – Cammalari
Lecavalier- Penner – Savard
Carter - Sharp- Horton
B Richards – Doan – Smyth

Defense

Green – Reghier
Boumeister – Barker
Phaneuf – M Staal

White

Goalers

Giguer, Turco, C Mason

if I opt for an extra forward instead of Defense man, it would be J. Staal

This team would compete every game, but probably top out as a Bronze medalist.

Game 22: Leafs 3 - Islanders 4 OT

Is there anyway to just refuse overtime?

Hope Floats

But that's easy when the water is frozen.

A weird thing happened this pre-season. I was struck giddy for the up coming NHL season.
I have an overwhelming urge to run around screaming PLAYOFFS!!!1 at the top of my lungs and buy a new jersey for every new import Brian Burke has wrapped up in the Blue and White shroud.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally over the edge here. My crayons remain contained within my trapper-keeper and my secret parade route plans are still under lock and key, but.

But what you ask?

Isn't it obvious? I would ask back, had you asked me directly. Since you can't answer that directly (damn technology) the answer is yes. Yes it is super obvious, what are you blind? Have you been watching this team? Have you been keeping track of the concentrated awesome?

Of course you haven't or you wouldn't have asked such a silly question, you silly goose you.

Why? You're asking me why now? You are certainly full of interest this morn are you not?

Now I could go on at length about the defensive arrangement now hunkered down on the Buds blue line, I could gush about the steroid infused truculence flowing through the veins of Leafy town, I could even hypothesize the hype of the monstrous mesh minder making miraculous miracles .

Yet Nay my good peoples, nay. There are two main reasons I am full of glee for this upcoming season. And they Are Viktor Stalberg and Tyler Bozak.

Stalberg has stormed out of the gate and showed that JFJ wasn't totally incompetent (except if you take into account every single trade he ever made). Viktor posses' other worldly speed, excellent hands, a bullet shot, a solid defensive game and a forcheck that doesn't quite. He has also made the opening night roster and there have been rumblings of a possible Caldar candidacy in his future.

Tyler Bozak or TyBo as his friends call him, a former undrafted collegate player who said "Fuck you NHL" and willed himself to grow 5 inches and bulk up to 200lbs after all 30 teams passed on him during draft eligibility. Bozak lit up the post secondary ice sheets and even managed eight goals and 15 assists in 23 games lat season until he took a nasty knee on knee hit and was out for the rest of the season. He has a great hockey sense, and solid two way play.

Yay!

Bigfoot Is Blurry!

When people discus the mysticism of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it usually involves some aspect of how storied the franchise is, how magical Grabovski's mane of hair is, one of Luke Schenn's various miracles like turning water into beer and his enemies blood into dust or even how the vengeful god Wendel may strike down someone with fist shaped lightening bolts.

Today, it has a different meaning. As recently as last season, around the same time as the mysterious disappearance of Alexander Steen and Carlo Colicacovo, many have claimbed to have seen something on the ACC ice. Something not found in any Leafs roster or dressing room. One photographer managed to snap this picture.

While many believe it to have been faked, or simply Ryan Hollweg in the shower, it has been since dubbed the Stempnisquach.

The Stemnisquach. or Yet-Lee as it is also known, has developed a cult following of sorts. Scientists have scoured the Air Canada Center looking for proof of the creature. Mysterious clues have been found, but all have been debunked.

The first was strange skate marks in the ice surface, but then they realized it was a hockey rink and that was normal. Also the Zamboni resurfaced the ice before any plaster castings could be taken. Then it was believed some of the creatures droppings were found in a luxury box, but it turned out it was just some pudding filled with Oh Henry Bars stashed by Kyle Wellwood that had gotten old hardened up.

While evidence of the Stemnisquach remains elusive, many true believers hold steady that one day, the creature will be spoted and genuine footage of it scoring at the pace told of in legends St Louis.

Reeeeeemix

Hey Y'all
Remember those rosters I did up a bit ago? Well much has changed since then.
Here is how I see things sitting on opening night, the remix, now with more truculent Bass.

Poni - Stajan - Blake = This line stays put, Stajan isnt a 1st line center, but he has more chemistry with the other players
Kulemin - Grabbo - Hagman = Man Grabs Lemon lives as well
Tlusty - Walin - Stempniak = Kid line is delegated to the marlies, except Tlusty, who needs better ice time than this, but will probably see 2nd PP unit time
Stewart- Mayers - Orr = KKND, thats all the opposition will see

Relegated to AHL duties - Hanson, Bozak, Stralberg, J Mitchell

Kaberle - Schenn = Schenn gets the bump to first pairing, well because he is awesome
Beauchemin - Komiserik = total death for the rivals top line with a little offensive punch
Exelby - Finger = this was hard because I honestly thing VanRy deserves at least 2nd pairing status, but this is how I see Wilson setting the lines if the roster stands pat.

Rover - White

Relegated to AHL duties - Frogren

Goaltending Dual
Toskala - Starts out as the number one, but quickly becomes a 1A goaler
Gustavsson - I wouldnt be shocked if he got the first start just to see what he has.

Relegated to last chance AHL duties - Pogge, kid is gonna have to prove he can get mentally tougher and can compete with some stiff competition from Reimer for ice time.

Also, this is the 2009 - 2010 Leafs Theme song, YA HEARD ME!

Walk The Line

Hey look, I'm not dead! An odd combination of laziness and busyness have kept me from postyness. I was gonna do a rant, or something else. But I have decided that I am going to do something that is utterly pointless and predict the Leafs opening line ups for this season.
This is an exercise in futility and I know it. The roster is far from cemented and there are about eleventy billion question marks.
And thats why I'm doing it.....for the children, won't someone think of the children?

Starting line up
Blake - Antro - Pony
Is this the best possible line up? I doubt it, but I think Wilson will try to get the Antropony chemistry going, and give Blake a chance to find his top circle wrister groove again.

Second line
Grabowski - Steen - Tlusty
Youth and speed, this line will rule if they get chemestry going....and Grabowski doesn't suck.

Third line
Haggas - Stajan- Kulmenin
To ease Kulmenin into the NHL he'll get limited ice, hopefully he proves he is worthy of higher billing

Fourth - Checking Line
Mayers- Bell - Hollwigger
This line would be hella tough to play against.

First Defense Pairing
Kaberle - Kubina
No brainer

Second Defensive Pairing
Stralman - Finger (insert Pun)
Give the kid some good ice time, and let Finger attempt to prove his worth

Third Defensive Pairing
VanRyan - Carlo
brittle defense men FTW!

Floater
Boyce and White will share this, until Fletcher can unload White on Florida for draft picks.

Goalers
Starter
The Tosk
Doy!

Backup - doorman
Cujo
too bad we wont get to see much of that awesome mask.

Patsy
Leaf fans who still have a shred of hope that we wont suck so bad as to get laughed at my Lightning fans, but still secretly hope we tank bad enough to snag Tavares, but does it really matter because we won't be able to score tickets anyways.