LGD – Game 20: Sabres @ Leafs – OMG PETER HOLLAND

Look at this hottie! And beside him is Peter Holland!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Leafs made a trade today. Leaving the Leafs was Jesse Blacker, a 3rd-rounder in 2014, and a 7th-rounder in 2014. Coming back: Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz.

The newly-acquired and GOOD OL’ HOME TOWN KED Holland will be in the lineup for the Leafs tonight.

My LFR video on last night’s game is currently uploading, but my honest opinion right now is that I would like this trade whether or not the Leafs had all their injuries at centre. I’m glad Jesse Blacker was traded because he still has plenty of promise in his career but he wasn’t getting a shot in Toronto. Holland was in a similar boat in Anaheim, and now he gets to give it a go close to home (he’s from Caledon, ON), with the Leafs.

Trade aside, there’s an actual hockey game tonight. Hockey Night in Canada, in fact. Talk about baptism by fire.

via Extra Skater and NHL.com

I’m not as smart at stats as Cam is. I mostly like making jokes and playing with action figures in my post game videos. I can tell you this though: Ryan Miller has been fantastic.

The Sabres have just five lousy wins all season, but Ryan Miller has won three of his last four. 

Miller has faced at least 30 shots in all but two of the 15 games he has played in so far this season. He stopped 32 of 33 against the Leafs last night (I believe Christian Ehrhoff had one as well), 43 of 45 in a recent win over the Kings, and 47 of 51 in a shootout win over the mighty San Jose Sharks. Miller has a very respectable .918 save percentage on the season, and the Sabres are still in second-last place (29th) in the entire NHL. They’re saying Miller is getting the start tonight, and while I like Jonas Enroth, how can you blame them? He’s their MVP, and it’s not close.

Here is what Daily Faceoff says the Leafs lines will be tonight, although Paul Hendrick has already reported that Peter Holland is expected to play tonight. 

Joffrey Lupul – James van Riemsdyk – Phil Kessel
Mason Raymond – Trevor Smith – David Clarkson
Nikolai Kulemin – Jay McClement – Jerred Smithson
Frazer McLaren – Carter Ashton – Colton Orr

Dion Phaneuf – Carl Gunnarsson
Jake Gardiner – Cody Franson
Mark Fraser – Paul Ranger

So where does Peter Holland fit in here, and who comes out? You probably figure that Carlyle wants to keep both Orr and McLaren in because of John Scott, but then you’re looking at benching…who? Carter Ashton? He’s played well. Jerred Smithson? He takes basically every faceoff. Trevor Smith? He got the team’s only goal last night. This should be interesting.

Matt Moulson – Cody Hodgson – Drew Stafford
Steve Ott – Ville Leino – Tyler Ennis
Marcus Foligno – Zemgus Girgensons – Brian Flynn
John Scott – Cody McCormick – Corey Tropp

Mark Pysyk – Christian Ehrhoff
Henrik Tallinder – Tyler Myers
Jamie McBain – Rasmus Ristolainen

All signs point to a duel between James Reimer and Ryan Miller. Yesterday’s game was close and could have gone either way, so if Reimer can give Toronto the same chance to win as Miller does for Buffalo, who knows?

THE BIG QUESTION

How many points will Peter Holland get: nine or ten? 

Seriously though, where is Peter Holland playing tonight? If the answer isn’t centre, that’s pretty nuts.