Date: March 18, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:30PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: TSN

Once again the Leafs are fairing quite well when it doesn’t matter….that’s what most of the critics will say.  While this may be true, the difference in my opinion is that it’s not a bunch of under performing veterens like in past years.  We’re seeing marked improvement and strong performances from young players that will likely be part of this squad for years to come.   At least we are seeing entertaining hockey.

Though Jonas Gustavsson has played extremely well of late, Ron Wilson will continue with the alternating games approach so expect to see JS Giguere between the pipes.  Fredik Sjostrom returns from injury and various reports indicate that it will be Wayne Primeau that takes a seat.  Garnet “trade me” Exelby got back into the line-up against the Sens and TSN Ice Chips has him playing again tonight.  Finger must have missed his press box seat. 

I know it’s the day after St. Patricks Day but….I wonder if we’ll see this tonight?

Forwards
Kulemin Bozak Kessel
Stalberg Grabovski Caputi
Mitchell Hanson Lundmark
Orr Wallin Sjostrom

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Schenn
Exelby Gunnarson

Goalie
Giguere (start)
Gustavsson

Scratch: Finger, Primeau

Inured: Van Ryn (ofs), Komisarek (ofs)

LT

Date: March 16, 2010

Rink: Scotia Bank Place (Ottawa)

Puck Drop: 7:30PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

Let’s hope that the flight into Ottawa was better than the one into Long Island on Sunday….The Buds had a rough outing after winning 3-straight.

Aside from another opportunity for the kids to get some playing time, tonight is about winning the Battle of Ontario and Orr v. Carkner…..Orr has had the best of Carkner so far this season but I have a feeling his classless “three-fingered” salute after the last battle will motivate Carkner to get into the win column.

No line-ups were posted today so I’d have to imagine that nothing has changed.  Poor Exelby…Lesson #1…if you want ice time, don’t tell your GM to move you – and definitely let it out into the public.  Queue in Jeff Finger again – he’s probably exhausted with all of the ice time he’s had since the deadline.  The Sens have struggled of late and it appears as though they will be without Mike Fisher.  Let’s see if Jonas Gustavsson can win his 4th straight….

Forwards
Kulemin Bozak Kessel
Stalberg Grabovski Caputi
Mitchell Hanson Lundmark
Wallin Primeau Orr

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Gunnarsson
Finger Schenn

Goalie
Giguere
Gustavsson (Start)

Scratch: Exelby

Injured: Komisarek (ofs), Sjostrom, Van Ryn (ofs)

UPDATE: EXELBY IN, FINGER OUT. 

LT

Can the boys make it three in a row?  A nice streak and getting to .500 before Christmas would be fantastic considering how the season started.

Mike Komisarek is back in the line-up…Hard-luck Finger finds his usual seat in the team box along side Exelby and Wallin.  Toskala is feeling better but needs more hard practices before Wilson will put him back in.

Projected Lines vs. Sabres

Forwards
Ponikarovsky Stajan Kessel
Blake Grabovski Hagman
Kulemin Primeau Stempniak
Hanson Mayers Orr

Defense
Kaberle Komisarek
Gunnarson Beauchemin
White Schenn

Goalie
Gustavsson
Macdonald

LT

Can the Leafs top their 61 shot effort against the Islanders?  My guess is that their goal is to win on the scoreboard versus shot total.

While no official line-up was posted; we know that Christian Hanson is up and in the line-up for John Mitchell and Jamal Mayers will slide into the 4th line center slot leaving Wallin in the press box once again.  Joey Macdonald will back up Gustavsson with Toskala out for 2 games or so.

Projected Lines vs. Lightning

Forwards
Ponikarovsky Stajan Kessel
Hanson Grabovski Hagman
Blake Primeau Stempniak
Kulemin Mayers Orr

Defense
Kaberle Gunnarson
Beauchemin White
Exelby Schenn

Goalie
Gustavsson
Macdonald

LT

Game Time: 7:00pm

Leafs Lineup

FORWARDS

Niklas Hagman – Matt Stajan – Jason Blake
Alexei Ponikarovsky – Mikhail Grabovski – Tyler Bozak
Viktor Stalberg – John Mitchell – Christian Hanson
Jay Rosehill – Nazem Kadri – Jiri Tlusty
 
DEFENCE
Ian White – Garnet Exelby
Luke Schenn – Carl Gunnarsson
Jonas Frogren – Andy Rogers

GOALIES
Vesa Toskala
Joey MacDonald

Sabres Lineup
FORWARDS:
Clarke MacArthur – Derek Roy – Drew Stafford
Jochen Hecht – Paul Gaustad – Mike Grier
Philip Gogulla – Tim Kennedy – Jason Pominville
Cody McCormick – Matt Ellis – Jeff Cowan

DEFENCE:
Chris Butler – Tyler Myers
Toni Lydman – Henrik Tallinder
Nathan Paetsch – Steve Montador

GOALIES:
Ryan Miller
Jhonas Enroth

After tonight, the Leafs will have only 3 more pre-season games left.  Wilson will need to make some decisions so that the regular season crew has a game or two to play as a unit.  Tlusty hasn’t looked like a guy on the bubble – this could be his last game.  TSM got lots of feedback re: Kadri…could this be his last game too?

Puck Drop: 7:00pm

Tonight’s line-up according to the Toronto Star.

TONIGHT’S LINEUPS

The Leafs

Forwards:

Jiri Tlusty – Mikhail Grabovski – Nikolai Kulemin

Jay Rosehill – Nazem Kadri – Lee Stempniak

Viktor Stalberg – Tyler Bozak – Christian Hanson

Colton Orr – Wayne Primeau – Jamal Mayers

Defencemen:

Mike Komisarek – Tomas Kaberle

Luke Schenn – Francois Beauchemin

Carl Gunnarsson – Ian White

Goaltenders:Vesa Toskala and Joey MacDonald

The Penguins

Forwards: Jordan Staal, Dustin Jeffrey, Paul Bissonette, Mike Rupp, Wyatt Smith, Chris Conner, Tim Wallace, Matt Cooke, Ruslan Fedotenko, Ryan Bayda, Nick Johnson and Tyler Kennedy.

Defencemen: Nate Guenin, Alex Goligoski, Ben Lovejoy, Mark Eaton, Jonathan D’Aversa, Robert Bortuzzo, Jay McKee.

Goaltenders: Brent Johnson, John Curry

No Malkin or Crosby…unfortunate for the Fans who go to see the game…

LT

Here is the lineup for tonight’s game:

Defence

Forwards

Alexei Ponikarovsky – Mikhail Grabovski – Nikolai Kulemin
Niklas Hagman – Nazem Kadri – Lee Stempniak
Christian Hanson – Tyler Bozak – Viktor Stalberg
Jay Rosehill – Rickard Wallin – Ben Ondrus

Mike Komisarek – Tomas Kaberle
Andy Rogers – Luke Schenn
Jesse Blacker – Carl Gunnarsson

Goalies
Joey MacDonald
James Reimer

LT will be back after the game for post game thoughts

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