LGD: Talk the talk, walk the Hawks

After a roller coaster week, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to carry the statement they made in Tampa Bay over to a game against the team they hope to be long-term successors to, the Chicago Blackhawks. Here’s what’s about to go down. 

Toronto Maple Leafs lines courtesy of Daily Faceoff

Don’t expect much to change. I don’t even know why we bother describing things in this paragraph anymore; unless someone gets hurt, nobody gets pulled out of the lineup or even really moved. Obviously, that makes more sense on a night like tonight: nearly everybody, from depth to start, played well on Thursday.

Chicago Blackhawks lines courtesy of Daily Faceoff

For all the chirping many of us did at Jonathan Toews during his cold streak… that’s a lot of to be determined down the middle outside of him. It’s always fun looking at Chicago for the first time in months and finding a new player you’ve never heard of before.

Frederik Andersen likely gets the nod for the Leafs tonight. After that shutout performance on Thursday, and with so much on the line against a good team tonight, how are you going to bet against him? You don’t, that’s how.

While I suppose there’s a chance that the Hawks could look elsewhere, I’d bet on Corey Crawford starting in goal. That should be a bit worrisome, seeing has he’s been > 0.950 in four of his last six appearances, but that could also mean that he’s due for a dull one. At least, that’s the hope.

Endless comparisons between the two teams, especially now that, unlike the last time the two faced off, the average fan and reporter now has a greater idea of what the kids are. Tonight’s game is on at 7:00 PM and you can catch it on Hockey Night In Canada.