sixtyone

Boston, MA • United States • 31 Years Old • Male

It's how you bounce back...

Last night was what the Leafs needed. Not a blow out win, but a strong game for 60 min. That's what has killed them for the last few years. We saw this last year, games where the Leafs played their game for 60 min, they won without question. It's the games when they decided not to play for the 2nd or 3rd that killed all hope of making the playoffs.

Gamache had a big game last night and he did what he needed to do. Lots of people were crying about why he wasn't on the team to start the season and I'm sure lots of them a saying "I told you so". What Simon didn't do in the pre-season was score. He played hard but he needed to score and that's what he did last night. As he said, he goal didn't mean much to the game but it meant a lot to him and he could be a great little spark plug for the team.

Raycroft did what he had to do last night. He looked better position wise and he made solid saves. Nothing spectacular but he didn't let in a bunch of soft goals and then look to the sky. He was composed and that's what he needs to be right now.

Congrats to Mats of course. One stat that I did not know about Mats is that he is 4th in the NHL over the last 10 years in points. 10 years. That is no easy feat given the top talent in the NHL and proves to me that he overlooked. He's on fire right now and looks good.

Stajan and Steen are turning into what people have hoped they would be. Strong plays, getting points and playing with a bit more of an edge. It's nice to see and about time.

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Tomorrow will be a test that's for sure. We've go the Pens in the building and Sid is itching to score and he's someone that can explode any given night. My guess is that Vesa will get the start and the Buds will come out flying. They will need to if they want to keep up with the Pens.