Game In 10 – Game 73
This was a memorable evening for all Leaf fans. After 12 seasons and 878 games in a Leafs uniform, Tomas Kaberle returned. Many of us criticized his play in the past, many of us admired his crisp clean passes. Whatever the case may have been, I would just like to take the opportunity to once again thank Tomas for his time in Toronto. More than anything else, this night was about him. Continue for some rosy cheeks and a big bad blowout!
1 – The Leafs are 32-31-10 and we’re below 10 games left. Yeah, pretty epic win on a SATURDAY night. Hm.
2 – To me, it always appeared that Luke Schenn had untapped offensive potential, I wrote that in a couple of the Game In 10s prior to this one. I guess after that rush and goal I’m not the only tool in that shed. What can one say? A collective dropped jaw did the most of the talking. I expect the play to be whistled down because I doubt that filthy a play was legal. Just nasty and totally unhygienic.
3 – A lot of firsts in this one, Nazem Kadri with his first NHL goal which is also his first as a Leaf (duh) and his first step to proving he actually isn’t a bust, but a 20 year old player with lots of physical and mental development left. Duncan Keith comes to mind, would you call him a bust? Ok, wrong example, how about Patrick Sharp? 35 points in 80 games in 06-07. Even so, calling him a late bloomer is daft at this point, again, he’s 20 years old. How can any 20 year old be a bust? It defies logic. It’s not like we’re talking about bread here. Great patience to get a shot off on the goal.
4 – ACC crowd classy as always, with a good applause when Tomas was announced for the Bruins. I might be biased here, but more than any other group of fans in the NHL, Leafs Nation appreciates their former aces.
5 – As expected Nazem Kadri looked much better since scoring that confidence building goal. That confidence contributed to him making a heads up play for the 3rd Toronto goal courtesy of Joey Crabb, with some great work by Darryl Boyce in front of Boston’s Coin Man. Immediately after we were caught saying bang bang Brown, bye bye Thomas!
6 – Tim Thomas allowed 4 goals on 14 shots before he was pulled (22 saves on 4 shots at the end), while James Reimer made a number of good saves (35 total) for the W. I like games where our goaltender wins the goaltending battle before the game is even over. What? Thomas was back in for the third, well, it does figure, considering the scorers, overall tone of the game and Rask’s feel good reaction.
7 – Keith Aulie continues his impressive run since he got called up from the Toronto Marlies, he fights, he shoots, he scores and has people chasing him with pitchforks and torches. My only question is, Gulliver or Frankenstein? The Flames got burned on that deal and yes, this is a bad pun.
8 – This was said on a couple of shows already, but it truly does seem that James Reimer has the unconditional love of us Leaf fans, or as close as you can be to having that being a young player in Toronto. Performances like the one tonight only help his cause but as a Leafs fan players like that make me uncomfortable, with my feelings entering a somewhat unfamiliar territory… is this love is this love is this love is this love that I’m feelin’?
9 – Dion didn’t need to fight Horton later in the third, didn’t want to fight Horton because he was smart enough to know he isn’t gaining anything by fighting Horton, but damn, I like him for going with Horton. Horton. Blood.
10 – The next 3 are on the road ladies and gentlemen (Minnesota, Colorado and Detroit). The Leafs don’t play in the ACC until March 29th. Yeah, it doesn’t get any easier.
