Gamenight at the garage and the big (marketing) news is that the team that has already retired us and given us a gold star now gives us another object of consumerist love to sink our rapidly depreciating currencies into: third jerseys! You can find out more about it here, here and here. Sadly I have yet to hear my cell ring about the endorsement for this. Patience my pets...patience.
Also JJ has done great work helping spread the word on the grassroots effort to slap the "C" on Luongo and get some archaic rules changed in the dusty NHL rulebook. Get in there and vote.
Not much team news other than Salo is on the way back but Beeeska is still out for two weeks or so. Davison seems the guy to step in for the top scoring defenseman but Nycholat was recalled too so who knows. Up front it's a remote possibility that Demitra could return tonight but I suspect he'll be held out until the road trip next week.
And on the other end of the ice the Leafs are said to come. On the backburner is the whole Burke thing that I'm sure Ron Wilson is just thrilled to keep hearing (those two together could be simply hilarious).
Since my fellow readers are used to me talking shit about every team that suits up against Vancouver, it may come to surprise you that I won't be giving the requisite "Leafs Suck" diatribe. Besides there are plenty of places to get that.
Don't get me wrong, they do suck. But so do 28 other teams, with only the Rangers sitting happily as the reigning Kings of Suck. But going apehist over Toronto? Why? Do people really hate the Leafs or do people hate the city and/or media attention more than the team itself (I see this with New York teams all the time so I guess I'm just curious)?
You do have to appreciate that the Leafs have turned themselves around by ignoring Swedish centers, shipping off disgruntled defensemen to Florida (where hockey dreams go to die) and bringing in a good coach (I'll raise my hand as someone who would trade Vigneault for Wilson in about one second).
Moreover, the Leafs have sucked for a years but so has Vancouver right? Seriously if some mouthbreathing fat pundit who lands his overrated ass into a TV seat or radio chair isn't bashing Vancouver they're trashing Toronto. In recent seasons every Canadian team has done well - Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa with miracle Cup runs and Montreal now is the "best Canadian hockey team" - so shouldn't we embrace our fellow beleaguered Eastern cousin?
Misery likes company and I welcome our Toronto dark horses. Who cares who wins tonight; in fact, what would be better is if both teams join forces, call up Calgary and challenge them to a death match. In a cage. Surrounded by fire. With dogs that breath bees.
Fine that won't happen. So instead let's enjoy this: each team is doing better than expected and neither has to credit Sundin. And just like we're all winners. Golf clap and group hugs all around.
Go 'Nucks.