Wide Open

I swear to god, if I hear "and McCabe just missed the net with that shot" or any of its derivitives one more time, I am gonna go postal.

Can anyone on the Leafs hit the net? Or rather, not hit the players standing in front of it? I swear they have more shots blocked on them than any other team in the history of the universe.

But maybe I'm just bitter.

I hate you Buffaslug.

If You're Happy And You Know It, Sit On Your Hands

With the trade deadline now in effect and players from all over the NHL now on their way to new clubs, cities and homes, not much has changed in Leaf land.

But something has changed, how significant a thing? Only time shall tell. The Travis Green experiment is over, enter Yanic Perrault in his 3rd tour as a Maple Leaf. Best case scenario, Perrault adds more consistent PK and even strength face off wins and some minor secondary scoring, and some two way play for the 3rd or 4th (in some cases the 2nd) line. Worst case scenario, he does what Travis Green did, nothing worth mention. He was in the All-Star game, so there must be something good about him eh? Eh? Yeah, I don't know if i buy that either.

Lots of other big trades out there today, Bertuzzi to Detroit, Billy G to the Sharks and Roberts (officially) to the Pengus. The one that will be talked about most, and probably the one that worries me the most is Smyth to Long Island. A player that is known to be a game breaker now added to a team that my team is doing battle with for a playoff spot, ga-damnit!

Also, Pitts-boig looks even scarier, I'd hate to face them first round.

Tuck And Roll

So I was right, Tucker stays in Toronto.
I am happy to see Mr Aggitator stay with the blue and white, he brings some fire and energy to the team when ever he steps on the ice, something they could always use.
While a plethera of picks would have been nice, Tuckers (eventual) retourn will add some pop to the power play and some grit everywhere else. He hits, he scores, he fights and he pisses off everyone not wearing a Maple Leaf on their chest, and Lindy Ruff (the devil) hates him. That last one alone is worth loving the guy for.
All I can say is that I hope he's back on the ice soon.

Also tonight, the Leafs take on the Habs in an epic battle for a playoff spot, who will win? Who will loose? Will Montreal fans ever realize they are cheering for the wrong team? All this and more some time soon, same bat time, same bat channel.

Close Yet Far

"drop me a line and tell me how the hell you are..."

With a convincing victory over the Flyers, the Leafs grab a much needed two points out of what can only be called a sloppy, dull game. The 5-2 score reflects only that the Buds had better goaltending and more bounces go their way (which is nice to have happen for once). Raycroft was solid all night, well except for that first goal that can only be described as a floater. Soft goal aside, the Buds pulled off the win...only to go nowhere in the standings, they rest at tenth. With the Thrashers loosing to Carolina and Montreal dropping yet another game, the race for that elusive playoff spot is as tight as ever. It will probably give me an ulcer.

On another note, this whole Sabers / Sens debacle went into another high scoring, fast moving, scrapper of a game. Two fights, decisions going to Neil (god I hate him) and McGratton (he was loosing but that shot to Peters jaw won him the bout). Neither team got anything steady from their goalies. Emery looked like he was too excited and he couldn't find his groove and Biron looked like he wanted nothing to do with the game (him being subsequently pulled after a quick 4 goals is proof enough, he didn't even look upset).
Although the major surprise is this, I am contributing space on my Maple Leaf blog to two teams I hate.

Ugh.

Love Em Or Leaf Em

Not that I feel the need to justify my faithfulness to the Buds, but latly I've been given some guff by non-Leaf fans as to the tune of "likeing the most popular team" or "jumping on the Ontario Leaf Love Bandwagon". So I must clarify. Back when I was a young lad I was more of a hockey fan than a Maple Leaf fan, sure the Leafs were my 'favourite' team, but when your eight, that means about as much as cup hopes to a Philly fan. Then it happened, the 93 Leafs magical playoff charge lead by Dougie 'hey whats your secret' Gilmour and Wendel 'best mustash ever' Clark. I fell in love with the Leafs about half way through the first round series and the deal was sealed, even with their eventual loss due to the Gretzky incident. I still maintain that had a penalty been called, the Leafs would have won and steamrolled the hapless Habs in the finals, but that is neither here nor there.
Through the years, my Leaf fan-dom resolve has strengthened to the point of near (though good humoured) ferocity. The reason? Hatred. If your not a Leafs fan, you hate the Leafs, it's that simple. Ask any Senators fan what they think of the Buds. Hell, ask any Habs fan, any Oilers fan. You'd more than likely get something that would be at best, discribed as snarky. So, being as rediculously stuborn as my Irish blood would allow, I embraced the Leafs, loving them more and more every year.
And like every true Leafs fan, my resolve cannot be weakened, no matter how much logic people try to use on me.

Oh Yeah, and theres a game on tonight....

Go Leafs Go.

Oil And (Frozen) Water

"Mats Tells Carlo How He Really Feels"

Tonight, a chance to move into solo 8th for my beloved Leafs. First, three things must happen. The Islanders must not win (or get that bastard of a 3rd point), the Canadians MUST BE DESTROYED, and the Buds must beat the Oilers.....at home. Buds home record non-withstanding, this comes some good news. Rolli the goalie is winless in 5 (to my hockey pool malcontent, thank Jebus I also have Brodeur) and Raycroft has been solid (well last game anyway). Tee Dot Oh Dot seems to do pretty well when Raycroft outplays the other 'tender, heres to hoping I guess.
Last time the Buds were helped along by the Flyers being gutted from the last minuite loss of Forsberg (like they needed any help at the not winning thing). I have some sort of misplaced hope in that the same will happen to Edmonton with Smyth...maybe on his way to the Blue and White.


Hey shut up, I'm a Leafs fan, all I have is hope.

Flying Low

Tonight the Leafs face the depressingly bad Flyers who have actually shown some signs of life their past couple games (winning two in a row I think, but don't quote me on it). It should be an easy game for the Leafs if all the ifs and buts work themselves out and they are able to shut down Gagne, the sole bright spot for Philly this year, and check Forsberg enough so he gives up halfway through the game.
A win tonight would help the Leafs catch those wacky Habs who are tailspinning themselves out of the tight race for the playoffs. Even if I wasn't a Leafs fan I'd be hoping for this. Nothing is funnier than the Canadiens missing the playoffs..... except for maybe the Sens missing em.