No other way to say it. The big winner today was not only Canada, not only Sidney Crosby or any member of team Canada but hockey fans around the world. It’s not just that Canada won, it was the game. It is going to be very very hard to watch NHL hockey this week. The play during this tournament was incredible. I am not sure how relevant this is, but to me it’s like watching the NCAA tournament and then having to go back to watching NBA action. The difference is that this is hockey. This isn’t basketball. The play by all teams was at such a high level. The sport of hockey, those of us who love the game were the real winners today.

Personally, I looked at my son on my side and my dad on the other and said to the youngest of the three of us, remember this goal, you may NEVER see a bigger goal. The Henderson goal was before I was born. I’ve never seen a goal bigger than that. I am not sure Sidney Crosby will EVER score a goal bigger than that. He may win lots of cups, he may score lots of goals, but to score the winner in OT in the gold medal game of the Olympics?????? It reminded me of the late Tom Cheek’s call on Joe Carter’s home run. Touch em all Sid, you will never score a bigger goal.

I’ve not been a fan of most of the coverage on TV this year. Chris Cuthbert was very good today. The hockey team as a whole were very good too. Once again, (I know the horse is dead) following the game on Twitter was the most fun. Finally, to those in the arena, what class they showed at the end of the game, cheering the American players, especially Ryan Miller and Zach Parise. The line of the night has to go to Sidney Crosby who when asked to explain the winning goal said that he had no idea, he just shot it.

More later..

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

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?