Date: March 9, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

The kids return from an entertaining and reasonably productive 3-game road trip.  They looked much better than they did against the Caines on March 2nd.  Let’s see what they can do against the Savardless Bruins…..Kessel is certainly due against his old mates.

Tonight’s Notables:

Luca “Truman” Caputi makes his ACC debut….should be a fun night for the Toronto born winger that was recently acquired from the Pens for Pony.  Jeff Finger is on a streak….this will be his 3rd straight game!!  Exelby sits.  Mikhail “Put Up Your Dukes” Grabovski is back from injury….Let’s see if he steps in for Orr if Lucic gets out of hand tonight.  Rosehill is back out of the line-up for Grabbo.  With the alternating games strategy, look for Gustavsson to get the start.

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

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Schenn
Finger Gunnarsson

Goalie
Gustavsson (start)
Giguere

Scratch: Exelby

Injured: Komisarek, Sjostrom, Van Ryn

LT

Date: March 2, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Sportsnet

I don’t know about you but, as excited as I am to get the NHL going again, nothing is going to compare to the hockey we got to see out of Vancouver over the past 2 weeks.  I’m not just talking about the Canada vs. USA or Canada vs. Russia games…aside from a few blowouts, the hockey overall was fantastic.

Hanson, Stalberg and newly acquired Jamie Lundmark will be in the line-up….presumably that means Mikahail “Put Up Your Dukes” Grabovski is not ready to play.  The same is true for Mike Komisarek as it looks like Garnet Exelby will be in the line-up as well.  I’ll give you one guess as to who is scheduled to be riding the pine from the defence corp…..you got it, Jeff Finger.  I wonder if Ron Wilson and Brian Burke make Cliff Fletcher communicate his game status for them?

Anyway, it will be a very emotional night at the ACC….not because they will honour the Olympians, but because it will likely be Ponikarovsky, Primeau, Exelby and perhaps Stempniak’s final games in their storied careers as Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Here is the expected line-up….

Forwards
Ponikarovsky Bozak Kessel
Stalberg Hanson Stempniak
Kulemin Wallin Sjostrom
Mitchell Primeau Orr

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Schenn
Exelby Gunnarsson

Goal
Giguere (start)
Gustavsson

Scratch: Finger

TSM and I will be at the game….looking forward to getting back to the ACC.

LT

Date: February 8, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

Cliff Fletcher just announced that Nazem Kadri will play tonight!!!  Emergency recall.

There were indications earlier in the day that some Leafs have fallen ill and Deveau was recalled from the Marlies.  But Kadri?  Wow.  I don’t know who’s out yet…I will update if I find out before departing for the game.

UPDATE: Christian Hanson and Freddy Sjostrom sit out with the flu.

LT

Date: February 5, 2010

Rink: Prudential Center 

Puck Drop: 7:00PM EST

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

What a difference a 3-days makes….The Leafs will face the Devils #1 goalie this time around and the introduction of Ilya Kovalchuk as a Devil.  Tonight’s game will likely be a completely different experience for the Blue and White.  Let’s hope they do as much of what they did on Tuesday tonight again tonight.  Also, the Leafs will start Jonas Gustavsson – JS Giguere will play tomorrow night.  Jeff Finger – well, you know where he’ll be….

Forwards
Ponikarovsky Bozak Kessel
Mitchell Hanson Stempniak
Kulemin Wallin Sjostrom
Rosehill Primeau Orr

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Gunnarsson
Exelby Schenn

Goalie
Giguere
Gustavsson (start)

Scratch: Finger

LT

Date: February 2, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

Let’s see if what we got back will fare better than what we sent packing…..While the Ducks won their game, neither Blake nor Toskala showed up on the boxscore.  The new look Flames fizzled and couldn’t muster a goal, let alone more than 15 shots last night.  Yes, it’s too early to tell whether or not any of the aforementioned will have an impact on their respective new teams.

Now for the debut of our new additions….While Phaneuf may not be paired with Kaberle 5 on 5, I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do together on the power play.  Our PK has been surprisingly brutal most of the season; will Sjostrom make a difference?  I think Burke and company will be holding their breath until Giguere makes his first couple of stops.  Remember Eddie Belfour’s first shot on goal (pre-season that is)?

As expected, 1 call up from the Baby Leafs (how come nobody calls them that anymore? Probably not a bad thing – but I do miss references to “the rock”)…Christian Hanson gets another chance.  This time he will play center on the 2^nd line – though his line mates look more like 3^rd or 4^th liners.  I actually like the idea of Mitchell on the wing versus center. 

The odd man out again is Jeff Finger…..what a tough season for him.

The Leafs may have gotten a bit of a break – Yann Danis will start for the Devils…though history has shown that back-ups shine against the Leafs when given a chance….and even more likely with less fire power coming his way.

Forwards
Ponikarovsky Bozak Kessel
Mitchell Hanson Stempniak
Kulemin Wallin Sjostrom
Rosehill Primeau Orr

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Gunnarsson
Exelby Schenn

Goalie
Giguere (start)
Gustavsson

Scratch: Finger

LT

Jonas Gustavsson will get the back to back start as the Leafs try to avoid completely erasing the gains they made prior to last nights Sabres game.

The only line-up change has Jeff Finger in for the inured Carl Gunnarson.

Projected Lines vs. Canadiens

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

Puck Drop: 7:00pm ET

TV: Leafs TV

Leafs Lineup:

Forwards:

Niklas Hagman – Matt Stajan – Jason Blake

Alexei Ponikarovsky – Jason Allison – Lee Stempniak

John Mitchell – Nazem Kadri – Christian Hanson

Jay Rosehill – Rickard Wallin – Colton Orr

Defence:

Tomas Kaberle – Mike Komisarek

Francois Beauchemin – Luke Schenn

Carl Gunnarson – Garnet Exelby

Goaltender:

Vesa Toskala

James Reimer

Flyers Lineup:

Forwards: James van Riemsdyk, Mike Richards, Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere, David Laliberte, Dan Carcillo, Darroll Powe, Ian Laperriere, Riley Cote, Blair Betts, Mark Bell.

Defencemen: Matt Carle, Chris Pronger, Danny Syvret, Braydon Coburn, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, Randy Jones.

Goalies: Ray Emery, Brian Boucher.