Wild at Maple Leafs
Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET, Sportsnet Ontario
Goaltenders: Backstrom v Gustavsson
Fret not, after leaving Saturday's decisive win over Detroit with an injur, Mike Komisarek practiced this morning and will be in the lineup tonight against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are 15th in the Western Conference and 28th in the league, setting up our second battle of bottom 3 teams this week.
Being in 29th place hardly gives the Leafs any right to call anyone an easy opponent, but let's hope Toronto's two week stretch of excellent play continues and the Leafs can pick up a win against a team without much offensive punch. The Wild are transitioning from a defensive trapping team to a more offensive style and so far it's been a rough road for them.
Brent Burns, who may have played his way off the Canadian Olympic roster this season, has been downright terrible posting a team worst -13. Martin Havlat, brought in to help people forget Gaborik, has one goal and is -12. Mikko Koivu is -11.
Before we take the Wild lightly though I think it's worth looking at their recent play. In their last four games Minnesota has played the Rangers, Penguins, Canucks and Stars and beaten everyone but Vancouver. Minnesota's a team looking to turn the corner and get back into high gear just like Toronto so tonight could be a real nail biter.
Go Leafs go, remember your SPG picks, check back here at 6:30 for the first period gameday thread. The guys over at SBN's Wild site Hockey Wilderness are pretty legit so maybe there'll be a field trip tonight.
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Comments
LET’S GO WILD!
Join me on the Hockey Blog Adventure! (or Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)
by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Nov 10, 2009 1:35 PM EST reply actions
Flagged, I read this in the bathroom and therefore had to purchase the whole thread.
"I will take the subway - we were on the subway last night...I'm not above riding the subway or riding on a bus, I don't care. As long as people don't hit me." --Ron Wilson
by Jo4nny on Nov 10, 2009 2:55 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I’m a little worried about this one. Plus, it wasn’t exactly a 2 week stretch of excellent play, we really played horribly for most of that Carolina game…
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Just the first period. We took it to them after that. Carolina didn’t put up much fight though.
by general borschevsky on Nov 10, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
let us keep in mind that...
Backstrom is an amazing goalie…
but is he Monstrous??
...Being surrounded by Sens and Habs fans makes me feel intrinsically superior...
that hasnt really stopped other teams from kicking their butt
There is no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E"
by Matt_Roberts on Nov 10, 2009 1:45 PM EST up reply actions
Backstrom .909
Gustavsson .918
Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
= Gustavsson is more Monstrous??
...Being surrounded by Sens and Habs fans makes me feel intrinsically superior...
Precisely. Thanks for joining.
Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
you guys are really good at...
knowing who is new, and welcoming them…
thanks…
Go Leafs!!
...Being surrounded by Sens and Habs fans makes me feel intrinsically superior...
We try to be open and welcoming.
Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
Everything you do and say here is carefully analyzed in the secret PPP bunker, mounstruo. You should read more Orwell.
I am Mikhail Grabovski's smirking revenge.
KidK, you forgot to mention that we also analyze thoughts and know what will be written before it is written.
-Graham-
by CanadianMaple09 on Nov 10, 2009 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
Remember the last time we played Minnesota with Pogge in net? Oh boy that was fun.
Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
Now we’ve got a legit goalie that isn’t a human sieve or a future ECHL all star. This truly will be fun
Space Weed Says The Steve Ott of Hockey Blogs
"DO NOT get stuck behind Kyle Wellwood in the buffet line. This isn't really etiquette, but it will prevent you from starving to death"- Down Goes Brown on Etiquette for Jason Spezza's wedding
by Kevin Sellathamby on Nov 10, 2009 2:08 PM EST up reply actions
White fought Clutterbuck. That part was fun.
by general borschevsky on Nov 10, 2009 2:57 PM EST up reply actions
Everybody thank Chemmy for a wonderful post!
And remember who wrote it tonight when Burns, Havlat, and Koivu all score goals against the Leafs.
I know I’m rooting for normalization of Havlat’s currently-abysmal shooting percentage.
Boogaard’s first goal in 4 seasons, maybe? He is shooting twice as much as usual right now.
Join me on the Hockey Blog Adventure! (or Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)
by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Nov 10, 2009 2:20 PM EST up reply actions
I read the article they posted on Hockey Wilderness on that topic. Yikes. Havlat’s numbers are brutal. 4th-line enforcers would be embarrassed by those numbers.
Let’s just hope that trend continues for at least one more game.
leaf fan stuck in ottawa, still. Now truculently rebranded!
Well, when your fourth-line enforcer shoots about once every 4 games and hasn’t scored a goal since 05-06….
Join me on the Hockey Blog Adventure! (or Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)
by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Nov 10, 2009 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
Jason Blake's fist pumps all-round!
"There's been four different Cup winners the last four years, and I got one of them (Anaheim) and it was a fighting team. We're playing it that way regardless." - B. Burke, Toronto Maple Leafs GM
For some reason I’m really really excited to watch this game.
"I will take the subway - we were on the subway last night...I'm not above riding the subway or riding on a bus, I don't care. As long as people don't hit me." --Ron Wilson
Well, yeah! It’s Minnesota, baby!
Join me on the Hockey Blog Adventure! (or Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)
by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Nov 10, 2009 3:02 PM EST up reply actions
Nah, then all the hockey wilderness people would be all “it looks cheap like a college jersey” even though objectively the Wild have a real nice third.
Join me on the Hockey Blog Adventure! (or Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)
by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Nov 10, 2009 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
That was #1 on Puck Daddy’s list of best alternate jerseys introduced in the 2000’s, I believe. I have to say, it is a very sharp-looking jersey.
leaf fan stuck in ottawa, still. Now truculently rebranded!
except for the stupid tan stripe when the shoulder stitching is. I hate that on the RBK unis. the original version of the Wild red jersey was the best.
the wild make me think of christmas…..
There is no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E"
by Matt_Roberts on Nov 10, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions

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