via www.totalprosports.com

Hey... so um, let's not wreck this with a lot of talk about how I'm feeling n stuff.  Let's just say if there were ever a game that could get me up and writing, it would be this one.  The Canadian rivalries are special, we all know that.  But beating the Leafs?  There's something so wonderful about that.  To borrow a line from them "It's the passion that unites us all".  Now excuse me while I go wash my hands.  Why is that?  More after the jump...

Part of it is just the history.  If you can't get excited about a match against one of the other Canadian teams then you're not really a fan.  The Leafs are a storied organization with a proud past.  The problem is that past ended a year before I was born.  Since then, they're nothing to get excited about. 

Another reason?  It's gotta be that fan base and their charming mix of delusion, revisionism and misguided sense entitlement.  We all know Leafs fans.  Some of them are friends or coworkers.  I hate to admit it, but I have family members who for some godforsaken reason have remained loyal to this team over the years.  You've no doubt heard from them this week.  As the date for this game draws close, they've been letting us know that a soul-crushing defeat is at hand.  All of the talk became exponentially funnier after they had their collective asses handed to them by the sad sack Calgary Flames, but I have a thought about this all.  Even if they win, it doesn't matter.

Yup.  They could win tonight, and apart from being disappointed, it doesn't matter.  At the end of the day this team still has a collection of AHL'ers led by an over-rated neanderthal defenceman.  They will miss the playoffs again, and continue to do so for a couple years.  As a fan of a team that has a legitimate shot at the cup, I can live with that.

So let the babies have their 4pm start.  It's comforting to know that it's not on too late for any of their fan base to see them get their asses kicked.  And if they win?  No biggie.  They should enjoy it, because things aren't likely to get much better for them.  They're a LONG way away from being a contender.  Granted, they have some young talent that should help them get more competitive in the future, but a combination of a toxic legacy and current mismanagement will continue to keep this team in the bottom 7 in the East for a while.

Dry, unbuttered toast with a banana...

So the Avalanche outlasted the Senators last night, winning in OT and bumping the Canucks out of top spot in the division.  The Canucks can regain that spot tonight with a win, and will still have two games in hand on Colorado.  3 games of interest tonight: Anaheim is in Carolina to take on the Hurricanes, the Ducks currently tied in points with the Canucks but have 6(!) games in hand.  Columbus returns home after that dreadful roadtrip to take on the 3rd place Dallas Stars, and Los Angeles is in Nashville to take on the red hot Predators.