LGD: Bost them around

The Toronto Maple Leafs head to Toronto-Dominion Garden to take on the Boston Bruins. Yes, I know that rink still gives you nightmares. Heck, there are still a few players wearing Blue and White who can probably say the same. But tonight’s game has nothing to do with the past, so let’s talk about what’s going on in the near future, shall we?

Toronto Maple Leafs lines courtesy of Paul Hendrick of LeafsTV

 

 

Free Frank Corrado. Free Connor Carrick. Please put a stop to Hunlak before their on-ice Save Percentage tumbles. Also, neat that Nylander is back on the wing, but not as nice that Soshnikov is back in matchup purgatory.

Boston Bruins lines courtesy of Daily Faceoff

When I was a retail job haver, my boss opened up a full staff meeting by stressing the importance of Adam McQuaid to the Boston Bruins. Specifically, the fact that he got a hefty extension after a one goal season was an example of being rewarded for being a team player.

I saw where he was coming from, but that didn’t make it any less painful. Cool boss, though.

Frederik Andersen is great. The Leafs are losing games that he plays despite the fact that he’s playing great. This is a travesty that I’m sure they’d like to turn around, but in the meantime, he gets to face the team who shot into him on route to his first strong performance of the season.

Tuukka Rask is Tuukka Rask. I’ll save you the trouble. Please don’t make me think more about the 2006/07 Leafs.

The Leafs need to take this game extremely seriously. I’m not kidding; there’s big implications here. The gas is starting to fall out in both Tampa Bay and Detroit, and Florida, as much as I believe they’ll turn things around, is still in the “turning things around” phase.

Despite being last in the Conference, Toronto has the fewest games played in the Atlantic Division; everybody else has two or three more in hand. Boston is one of the teams with three, and they’re the ones with that third seed that the Leafs are going to need to get if they have any real chance at a playoff spot this year.

Winning tonight would put them five points back of the Bruins while still remaining three games in hand; a very attainable gap to close with 56 games left in the season. Seven still isn’t horrible, but every point matters and to close in a bit would be great; especially when you consider that Boston is more likely to go on a legitimate run than Ottawa. Stealing points away from them now means more than it would for just about anybody, and if the home opener showed anything, it’s that they’re capable of it.

Puck drop for this one is at 7PM. Catch it on Hockey Night in Canada.