LGD: #BellLetsTalk About Maybe Winning A Game?
9 years ago
It’s been 19 days since the last Leafs win. It’s been 28 days since the last Leafs win against a real team (one that’s playoff-bound). It’s been 43 days since the last Leafs regulation win against a real team. To put it simply, it’s been a tough couple of weeks here in Leaf land.
Carlyle was fired about halfway through the downward spiral, and while the process has been better, the results haven’t followed. Tonight’s game against an awful Devils team should be a chance to reverse that. Whether that’s actually in the Leafs best interest is a different story for a different day.
The Leafs
Expected lines via DailyFaceoff.com
Phaneuf is out week-to-week which makes the Leafs defence look downright putrid. It is pretty funny that each pairing has a raceboat saddled with a boat anchor, otherwise known as “the Tomas Kaberle.”
The forward lines have been taken to the blender once again and I do wonder what Clarkson has done to deserve diplomatic immunity on the second line this season, but he does add some defensive presence to the worst defensive forwards on the team.
The first line has a very interesting dynamic in adding Komarov’s very aggressive forecheck to mix, while the bottom six has a good balance. Overall, it’s good to see Horachek trying to find the right mix instead of going back to the status quo ad nauseam.
The Devils
Expected lines via DailyFaceoff.com
Did I travel through a time machine? The average age here has to be about 48.
But seriously, is this actually the lineup the Devils are rolling with? I mean, Leafs fans go crazy talking about 1st line centreman Tyler Bozak, but really it could be so much worse. So. Much. Worse.
I’m still laughing about this. Oh geez they’re going to win for sure now.
Starting Goaltenders
Jonathan Bernier gets the start tonight. He has been downright terrible lately. High time for him to remember he is a pretty good goalie.
In net for the Devils is Cory Schneider. I didn’t even bother checking this for accuracy, I’m pretty certain he’s the man tonight because the Devils have a long standing tradition of running their starting goalies into the ground with fatigue.
What To Look For
- Will the Leafs continue the tank with another loss? If so there will be outrage. Tear it down they’ll say.
- Will the Leafs bounce back with a win? If so there will be outrage. They need a higher draft pick they’ll say.
- Phil Kessel scoring a goal tonight because Justin Fisher asked him to nicely.
- How long of a look does Nazem Kadri get with Kessel tonight? Vegas odds have the over/under for the reunion of Kessel and Bozak set at one period.
- Me, on twitter dot com. I almost have 500 followers and this is important to me and my self esteem. That I have less followers than Bobby Cappuccino fills with me with a deep despair every night before I go to bed.
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