Breath Deep And Carry A Big Flask

New plan, starting over. The season starts a-new on Tuesday.
While the current Leafs may be Not Giving a hoot, the one that starts the new season on Tuesday are going to be awesome. Look for bounce back seasons from Francois Beauchemin and Mike Komiserik. Luke Schenn, having struggled with a softmore slump should look to regain the form from his rookie season.
While he will miss the first month of the season, Phil Kessel hopes to inject some offense into a less than stellar offensive line up.
While he missed a quarter of last year with groin issues, Jonas Gustavsson is reportedly almost ready to rejoin this squad and Vesa Toskala will get a couple games to prove he can hold down number one with the rookie looking to steal his job.
Ron Wilson has much to prove as he lead the Leafs to a league worst goals against record (for the second year in a row) and an abismal PK percentage. Both will need to be improved if the Leafs plan to end that 6 year playoff drought.

Man, I've never been so excited for a season to start!

Game 4: Leafs 2 - Pens 5

Screw You guys, I'm going home....for Thanksgiving.

Game 3: Leafs 1- Sens 2

Fuck you Kerry Fraser, now and forever

Game 2 : Leafs 4 - Caps 6

Audio only, glad I didnt watch that. WTF defense?

Game 1 - Leafs 3 - Habs 4 OT

New feature here at Die Hard, while most game reviews are in depth and detailed oriented, I give you something a little different.

"Game In 10 Words Or Less".
Yes there will be 82 of these, here we go

Calling bullshit on the refs, But you gotta kill those.

Into The Pages Of History

As most of you probably know, that wonderful man pictured above announced his retirement today. The Mats Sundin era has ended in the NHL.
There really is not much to say about Mats that hasn't been said a million times before, he came on a bad note, and left on a worse one, but no one can deny the years in the middle were magical.
No, he didn't bring a cup, no he wasnt a top the NHL scoring race every year, and no, he wasn't Doug Gilmour or Wendel Clark.
All of that is irrelevant.
Mats Sundin is arguably the greatest Toronto Maple Leaf of all time. End. Point.
Mats Sundin was the hardest Leaf ever for me to accept into my heart. He came to my team at the expense of Wendel Clark, no easy barrier to over come, his style contradicted everything I expected out of a Toronto Maple Leaf, and later, everything I expected out of a Captain.
It pains me to admit that I once too was one of those haters, I drank my Mats Sundin haterade with regularity, and then one day, seemingly out of nowhere, I stopped.
Be it age, or wisdom or dark magic, I finally saw Mats for what he was. An exceptional hockey talent, a quiet, strong and stoic leader.
Captaun Clutch soon was my favourite Leaf, I embraced him, defended him, and cheered him.
Mats was my Captain, Leafs Nation's Captain. It broke my heart to see him called out time and time again for not delivering Stanley's chalice to Toronto, it never seemed fair that Dougie and Wendel didn't (to my memory at least) take similar abuse.
My Captain preformed exceptionally right up until the time that he, for reasons I don't understand and now respect, broke my heart.
The reason it hurt so much was because I knew he would never don the Blue and White again, and he would retire under a different banner.
I realize now that that doesn't matter Mats will always be a Toronto Maple Leaf.
Dougie and Wendel were the Captains of my youth, but I grew up watching Mats, he was my Captain through the hardest years of my life and he never let me down.
I will forever miss Mats, and that big goofy Swedish grin will forever be burned into my brain.
I take no heed to the haters, you out there that would bad mouth my bald headed hero, oh not you Sens and Habs fans, you don't matter. I'm talking about you so called Leaf fans who hate him for "screwing us" get over yourselves. If you don't love Mats, well that is your loss just don't open up your mouth and shit all over a player who deserves nothing but your thanks and praise.

I hold no reserves in saying I will fight you.

Gook luck Mats, we miss you. I cannot wait to see the day you get honored at the ACC and have your number raised to the rafters along side all the other players of your ilk.

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!