I'm back!

I went home for the holidays and neglected my blog for a little while. I got Rock 'Em Sock 'Em 21 on DVD. That should be fun to watch; I haven't watched on of these since the 90's. I also got to watch the Leafs struggle against Buffalo, Phoenix and Montreal but pull out wins over Pittsburgh and Boston. Despite some shakey play, the Leafs remain in the hunt.

The game tomorrow in Edmonton will be fun to watch, if only because we rarely get to see the Edmonton Oilers. They are a young team that is still struggling to find consistency. They lack potent weapons on the offensive end, but have the people in place to have an effective powerplay (although they are below the Leafs in that category).

I'd like to see Phil Kessel be an impact player tomorrow night. I think his play has been sub-par recently, and a good game on the road could help him to find his goal scoring rythym again. And if Kessel can get going, that will help his linemates to produce. If I were Ron Wilson, I would stop putting Kessel on the half boards and instead have him set just off to the side of the goal. Kessel could then look for rebounds and tip ins, or the Leafs could try to implement that cross-crease play that was so successful with Darcy Tucker and Kyle Wellwood / Mats Sundin.

The World Junior Hockey Championships has been fun to watch, with the Leafs finally having a good prospect in the tournament. Kadri has been solid, although a bit undisciplined. The tournament has been a bit of a bore though. Canada has destroyed Latvia, Switzerland, and Slovakia. The games have been too one-sided to be entertaining. We do have the US coming up and that game should be a fun one to watch.

Home Cooking

The Leafs are playing well at home.

Read that again. Now remember, we are talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs here. For the last few years, they have struggled on home ice for whatever reason. My hypothesis? The Leafs just like the food on the road better.

One player who I have really liked is Jason Blake. Yes, his contract is still obstructive and obviously too large, but if Blake was getting $2 million per year, he would be a very good deal for any team. He has consistently brought a high level of energy to each game, and I like the way he has been driving towards the net more instead of going around it.

I think Luke Schenn is going to be sitting for a little while. Exelby and Finger have actually been a very steady pairing for the Leafs over the last two games, and if they continue to play well, Schenn might be better served by playing for a few weeks with the Marlies. I actually want to see him back in the line-up, but maybe a stint with the AHL affiliate will allow him to get more ice time and improve.

Anyways, with this latest "surge" underway, the Leafs play the suprising Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes have 7 more wins and 9 more points then Toronto, and would be in 5th place above the Bruins if they were in the Eastern Conference. Also, the Coyotes have a 5-4 record against the Eastern Conference this year.

I like seeing the Coyotes doing well. After all of the talk of moving and the team being sold, it is good to see them pushing towards the playoffs.

I like the Leafs chances against this team, however. The Coyotes do have one of the hottest goaltenders in the league right now in Ilya Bryzgalov, but I don't think anyone outside of Shane Doan scares our defence. With the way they are playing right now, I think Francois Beauchemin and Ian White will be able to perform and shut down the top line of the Coyotes. The real question is if the Leafs can score on Ilya Bryzgalov enough to win. With Phil Kessel and Niklas Hagman still rolling, the Leafs have two strong lines to throw at Phoenix and hopefully, get some quality scoring chances.

As long as the Leafs can continue their current trend of playing disciplined hockey, I think they have a great chance of continuing to streak forward and up the standings.

In this instance, hate is not too strong of a word.

I absolutely, positively despise the Ottawa Senators.

I am a big supporter of the Toronto Maple Leafs and a hockey fan in general. If I could see one team implode and wither away, it would be the Ottawa Senators. Ever since I have watched hockey, I've watched Ottawa and their stupid faces.

The rivalry between Toronto and Montreal is historic and goes back to the start of the 20th century. For me, Montreal is a rival, but there is a level of respect for them and all they have done. Without the Canadiens, the Leafs would be weaker. I do not hate the Canadiens. I don't wish harm on the Canadiens. I do wish for terrible things to happen to Daniel Alfreddson. The rivalry between the Sens and Leafs has not existed as long, but it means more to me. I've watched those playoff series (even though they came before I was a serious hockey fan). I remember having my heart smashed by Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza over and over again since the lock-out.

When I watch the Leafs and the Senators, I get angry. I throw things around the living room. I yell spiteful, hateful things at the TV. It is fun to get into a game that much - but only when my team wins. Whenever Ottawa beats the Leafs, it ruins my day. No, it ruins my week. Heck, it can even linger for a whole month. I still get pissed off thinking about the 2007/08 home opener. At least Dany Heatley plays in the other conference now...

Tonight, the Leafs can make it four straight at home and continue to inch closer to a playoff spot. More importantly to me, they can beat a rival and team that is ahead of them. I hope Colton Orr can grab Spezza and put a fist right into his nose.

Go Leafs Go!

A pleasant surprise!

In my last post, I mentioned the Leafs home woes and their tendency to suffer a let down after a big win. Tonight, they proved me wrong on both accounts by playing a strong game on home ice against the New York Islanders.

What can I say? Luke Schenn is starting to look more comfortable again. He made one turnover that led to a penalty, but he also flattened Jon Sim and was otherwise a solid player for the Leafs. I know the coaches are trying to get him to produce offensively, but I think they should make sure he is rock solid in his own end. He looked that way last season at times.

Jason Blake is finally being rewarded (ignoring his big contract of course) for his hard work. The game winning goal tonight is suitable prize for a player who seems to give 100% every game. Except on the first goal of the game by the Leafs, I think the second powerplay unit looked more fluid and had better control. I think this is, in part, because of Jason Blake and his play along the boards.

Beauchemin scored. When I was at the game on Monday, I could see just how hard he can shoot. He truly possesses a rocket.

Finally, Vesa Toskala was the man tonight. Even though he allowed two goals in the third, he also won Toronto the game in the third period when he was bombarded with quality chances. His post to post save on Okposo was beautiful and, I hope, is a sign that he is rounding back into his form from two seasons ago.

The Leafs did what they need to do from now on - win in regulation. If they can beat Boston tomorrow, they will inch closer and closer to a playoff position. After the weekend's massacre, I would normally say that the Leafs will struggle. I think the Leafs will take the momentum from tonight and from Monday and carry it over into tomorrows contest.

My first game, and what's next...

So, I've officially seen a live Maple Leafs game in person. I sat at the very back of the Air Canada Centre and had only standing room behind me. Despite being so far from the action, I enjoyed every moment of the game. Listening to, and interacting with the people around me was definitley fun. I tried to start a few "Go Leafs Go" chants.

I always thought that when people said the ACC was quiet, they had to be exagerating. After experiencing the game first hand, it is true. I think the crowd is louder at the Barrie Molson Centre then the ACC. Even after the celebration of a goal, the crowd quickly died down to near silence. Maybe, sitting at the very back, I did not get to hear the entire crowd. I don't know. It seemed very quiet (except when the crowd was prompted by the screens to "Make Noise").

I would say my experience was great. Everyone around me had fun and I loved seeing Poni collect two quick goals. Some of the stops from Toskala were very impressive and had the kids next to me really cheering.

Now, the Leafs welcome the New York Islanders to town. Do you remember last time? Do you remember how the Leafs took over 60 shots and still found a way to lose?

I think, as Ron Wilson said, the team is doing a better job of going to the net and looking for rebounds. They have a "shoot first" mentality and everyone is now clueing in to what to do around the net. The Islanders are coming to Toronto after playing a tough game and losing to the Flyers tonight, while the Leafs played a relatively easy game against the Thrashers on Monday and are rested.

Why do I get a strange feeling of dread? The Leafs terrible record on home ice is a start, and their performance against the Islanders last month is another reason to feel a bit quesy. Still, the Leafs have been playing well for a few weeks now. Tomorrow's game should be a good one.

I'm excited!

I'm not that excited by Saturday's game against Boston. That was just a train wreck. Seeing the puck continously filter into the Toronto goal was just not an uplifting sight. The Leafs were not even competitive in the game. It was embarassing.

What I am excited for it tonight's game against the Atlanta Thrashers. The Thrashers are not normally an opponent to get excited for, except for the fact we get to see former Leafs Pavel Kubina and Nik Antropov. The reason I am excited for tonight's contest is because I will be in attendance.

I have never been to a Maple Leafs game. Despite being a huge fan for years, I have never had the time or money to make it to a game before until now. This will be my first experience seeing the Maple Leafs live, and I cannot wait to get to the Air Canada Centre to catch the game.

Hopefully, the boys will put in a good performance for me.