Leafs Bashing Week, 2009-10 - Part II

Well it's been a while since I've posted here, but thanks to a little needling from a 'Nucks and Pucks fan (thanks Becky!) I am keeping the Leafs Bashing Week tradition alive - but the week is condensed into one day, the Game Day.

I am fortunate enough to be attending the game tonight at the ACC in Toronto. I am anticipating a huge crowd of Canucks fans. The last time I saw these teams play was in the 2007-08, when our back-up goalie (Andrew Raycroft) was the starter for the Leafs, there were 2000-3000 Canucks fans at the game. Given the Maple Leafs woeful season, it has been much easier to acquire tickets in Toronto this year - and as a result I am expecting a significant Vancouver representation at the game.

I will go out on a limb and estimate that 1/4 of the crowd will be Canucks supporters - which, if true, should inject some life into the normally quiet ACC.

Anyway, the Leafs have pretty much made Leafs bashing redundant this season. They sit third last in the NHL, and they can't even root for a great draft pick as Brian Burke traded it as part of the Phil Kessel trade. It is quite a disaster for the Leafs and their fans, and really I don't know if I can add anything to the onslaught of criticism that the team has received from the media and from fans.

I hope that the Leafs turn it around soon - it is a much more enjoyable league when there are strong Original 6 teams, including the two Canadian behemoths - Montreal Canadiens and the Maple Leafs. That being said, I am going to enjoy the fact that Vancouver is the top Canadian club right now and has been playing lights out hockey lately.

As a teaser for tonight's game, here is the highlight package from the last time these two teams met, way back in October:



I will post some pictures from the game, so check back here soon. And, as always, if you want to read more of my work look for nucksandpucks posts over at Nucks Misconduct. Or check out this link for a list of my work for the site.

Leafs Bashing Week, Part II - Storylines and predictions

First of all, a big thanks to Leafs-suck.com for letting me borrow some images (including the one above) for this, the biggest week on the 'Nucks and Pucks calendar. Now, one with the bashing!

Obviously the biggest storyline for this game is Mats Sundin's first game with the Canucks against the Leafs, the team for which he played 13 seasons and served as captain for 11. What will the reaction be when Mats takes his first shift? Damien Cox is calling on Leafs fans to cheer the big Swede who toiled so long for the organization, often with very little in the way of a supporting cast, and I applaud his stance.

Unfortunately, I am a little more pessimistic than Cox. I think there will be some scattered cheers, but in all honesty I expect there to be a considerable amount of bitter jeering from fans who are upset that Mats did not allow himself to be traded last season. Just think of how the Leafs could've squandered those first and second rounders they would've gotten in return.

Does the return of Kyle Wellwood to Toronto count as a storyline? Probably not. Although Wellwood was pretty darn stoked to score against his former team when the Canucks beat the Leafs 4-2 back in November.

This is also the Canucks' first game against Toronto since the migration of their former front-office tandem of Brian Burke and Dave Nonis to Toronto. However these two, each of whom served a tenure as Canucks' GM, were together in Anaheim to start the season so the novelty is slightly dimmed.

While we can predict with 95% certainty who will start in goal for the Canucks, the Leafs goaltending carousel provides no such certainty. Vesa Toskala has been mediocre, and has been called out in the media by his coach and GM for his poor play. Youngster Justin Pogge got his fourth career start just yesterday, and is sporting a rough 4.26 GAA and .837 save percentage for the season. But he has not been given a chance to settle into an NHL role, and when given that shot will surely shrink those numbers. Will Wilson go to the rookie against a Canucks team that, of late, has been somewhat of an offensive juggernaut?

Can the Canucks continue their offensive outburst? They have 29 goals in seven games this month (over 4 per game, for those of you scoring at home), and the Leafs seem like a prime target against whom to continue this trend. Here's betting that if they score early, they will jump all over the Leafs and put in 4+ goals. If they get off to a sluggish start, however, they will likely be hard pressed to scrape out 3.

Final Prediction: Canucks 5, Leafs 2. The Canucks jump out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period, then give up a powerplay goal early in the second before scoring themselves. The teams trade goals in the final frame, and the 'Nucks head to Montreal with another well-earned two points.

Canucks goal-scorers: D. Sedin, Sundin, Burrows, Edler, Demitra
Leafs goal-scorers: Blake, Ponikarovsky