Devils at Leafs

Being a Leafs fan since the lockout means that by now you’ve probably accepted a few things as fact:

1. If it’s a Tuesday night game at home against the Southeast the Leafs will lose. Sometimes they’ll get blown out. Sometimes they’ll take sixty shots on net and lose 2-1 but they’ll lose no matter what.

2. When the Leafs play a team that’s slumping you watch the game with an army helmet on from your foxhole because there’s a good chance the other team snaps out of it right before the first puck drop.

I’ll admit it, I’m terrified of New Jersey tonight. They come in with a 5-11-2 record, and a worst in the East -26 goal differential. Think the Leafs are bad? Their goal differential is only -11.

Martin Brodeur (16GP .901SV%) will start this game across from Jonas Gustavsson (6GP .902SV%). The Devils are without Zach Parise and UFA prize Ilya Kovalchuk has only four goals tonight.

Will the Leafs build on their strong effort from the past two games or will they let the Devils’ alarm clock go off and finally wake them up from their slumber? We’ll find out soon.