Leafs 3 v. Blue Jackets 1: FTB Edition

GO LEAFS GO! So, the Leafs once again win a game that at the start of the year should have been expected. Of course, last night it certainly wasn't wanted but that's the way the cookie crumbles. I actually fell asleep after the first and woke up with 5 minutes left in the third so I can only assume that the hockey continued on its exciting path after the first.

A correspondent was at the game (in a corporate suite with a bunch of suits that could have cared less about the game) and helped fill in the blanks for me:

3 takeaways...

1. Weekday games are embarrassingly quiet...I yell at the TV louder than Leafs fans at the ACC. Only once did I heard a worthy "Go Leafs Go!"

2. The Buds are much better with the lead now,not that they could get worse, but they seem to have bought into solid defensive positioning and sound decision making.

3. Our team hates us. This recent hot streak is the exact opposite of what the Buds need.

The Leaf goals were a nice reminder of what could have been. Carlo's 46 missed games meant that Andy Wozniewski played forty-eight games which was about 48 games too many. Antropov's powerplay goal after 6 seconds makes you wonder what might have been if Maurice had tinkered with a sputtering powerplay more often. Kilger's goal was a nice contribution from a fourth line that has been one of the team's best over the last stretch. It makes you wonder what might have been if the team had started the season off healthy with a full roster that didn't feature players in roles above their station.

But that kind of thinking is what led to this team being put together and despite any lingering hypotheticals it just is not good enough. Cliff now has six days to get things moving. Let's cross our fingers. Here are some articles to read as you while away the day wondering which team in the West will blink first and start off a freeding frenzy on Maple Leafs.

• Sean wonders why it's so hard to find out the details of a player's contract. It would certainly help out the mittenstringers who are just guessing at this point.
  
  
• Ryan has the answer to the problem: hire a document scanner. It would certainly make it easier for Eklund to make up rumours.
  
  
• Ryan also explains the difference between no-trade clauses and no-movement clauses for the uninitiated. Why McCabe got the latter is still beyond me.
  
  
• Paul Hunter takes the shine off of the win with news that some Leafs were injured. Actually, I guess that would actually be putting the shine back on.
  
  
• Glove tap to Penaltyshotsca for finding this Burnside article which is actually probably the worse thing I have ever read. I can't wait to see what the boys at Cox Bloc have to say about it.
  
  

I'd especially love to read what you guys thought about that last article. Mind-boggingly stupid is the nicest thing I can think to say along with it's no surprise that he works for ESPN.