Team Canada plays Japan today at worlds at 1 pm Toronto time. Japan lost yesterday to hosts Denmark, which puts them in a very tough spot in a tougher division than they have ever played in before.

The headline bit here is interesting, but I recommend skipping the IIHF stuff.

Quick Shifts: Vinni Lettieri is fighting to survive in the NHL
With the Maple Leafs returning to health, Vinni Lettieri is literally fighting to keep his spot in the lineup. Whatever it takes. Luke Fox digs into his battle and 11 more observations from around in the NHL in this edition of Quick Shifts.
Sportsnet.caLuke Fox

I like Lettieri a lot. He's the kind of hard-working pro that drives so many teams, but let's be real here. He was called up because he can play on the power play, and the second Kirill Marchenko is back, his seat as the 13th forward will go to someone else.

That's not a knock on him, and he's been fine at filling this role, but the only way he stays is if the Leafs trade away a depth player on a two-year deal in order to gain some cap flexibility, and I don't see why they would do that right now.

I don't see why the Leafs will let his waiver exemption expire either.

There was lots of controversy fodder last night between the Leafs and Canadiens. Gavin McKenna really had a rough game and was a turnover machine until he sat out two shifts and then came back and scored. (He was not the only puck-control-challenged Leafs player.)

Speaking of getting real: do you think the Leafs are winning the Cup this year? Well I don't. So I'm looking for smaller victories, and this for McKenna was one. He genuinely sucked. The coach was not picking on him by letting him cool off from the flush of shame over this:

In this scrum Xhekaj (I don't even know which one) did or said something that got him an unsportsmanlike penalty and the Leafs got away with a lot of other stuff.

William Nylander got the first goal.

And McKenna got the next one to finish the story arc of this round of overwrought drama with a little shot of redemption:

Montréal got a power play and capitalized, and that was it for the Leafs. Some flukes, some terrible play, some good luck, some weird ref decisions, a little touch of goalie-ing, and the end result was a hockey game. Final score was 4-2 for the bad guys.

Maybe it's payback for the Go Leafs Go in Edmonton and Calgary, but the Ole thing in the SBA is gross. I resent having to hear it.

Today's game should be interesting with the induction of Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron and Tkachuk senior, as well as Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley and Brian Burke.

See you later for the preview.

From The Branches