Final Preseason Preview: Rematch-Leafs and Red Wings

                            

 

 

Tonight the Leafs, depending on their performance, will either wrap up or wind down the 2011 Preseason. They have gone 4-3 over the past 7 games. It’s meaningless but let’s hope they can finish up with a win tonight against the Wings.

As I write this we are awating the decision of Mr. Shanahan on whether Clarke MacArthur will face supplementary discipline for a hit on the Wing’s Justin Abdelkader last night. At the end of the third period MacArthur made contact with Abdelkader. Abdelkader did not have the puck and was leaning forward. While his head was the principle point of contact it did not appear as though MacArthur was intentionally targeting the head. Further complicating matters is the fact that Abdelkader appeared to embellish the contact in and effort to draw a penalty heading into overtime. Finally, no injury was suffered on the play. MacArthur should be suspended for the final preseason game for failing to avoid hitting a player in a vulnerable position. No prior record, and the other mitigating factors should mean that he will not be considered a repeat offender going forward. Players need to be held repsonsible for hitting others in a vulnerable position regardless of intent or outcome.

 

 

7pm on CBC in Canada and the NHL Network in the US of A. 

Gardiner, Aulie, Gunnarsson, Liles, Komisarek, Phaneuf

Forwards:

Lombardi, Rosehill, Crabb

Guestimated Leaf lines:

Lupul-Lombardi-Kessel

Frattin-Crosbovski-Malklemin

Brown-Dupuis-Armstrong

Crabb-Zigomanis-Rosehill.

 

One more time with feeling: Go Leafs Go!