The Post is Brought to you by the Number 2

Two...two wins in a row at home. Ah-ha-ha!

Count 'em, ladies and gents. Today's win makes two in a row and seven in our last ten. Let's keep it rolling, boys. Tomorrow will be a big test against the Bruins. Let's see how we respond after the spanking they gave us on Saturday.

Two wins for me!

I don't get to go to a ton of games but I've been to enough that I have lost count. Whether it was at the Gardens of at the ACC, there was one underlying theme. I went home winless. Prior to this preseason, I have never seen a Leafs win live before. The closest I've ever gotten was a 1-1 tie against New Jersey back when Reichel was still here. Now I finally broke my streak this pre-season in a shoot out win against the Pens and witnessed my first official win live tonight! That's right, baby! I can go to games guilt-free!

Two Big Signings

It took some time but Beauchemin and Komisarek are finally starting to pick up their game. Both of these signings were supposed to give us one of the more intimidating defences to play against. While both players didn't pay immediate dividends, Burke's and Wilson's patience in them are starting to pay off. Komisarek (for the most part) has stopped taking dumb, unnecessary penalties and Beauchemin is starting to look very sound defensively and also provides a canon on the powerplay.


Number 2

No, that wasn't a highlight from last year, that was a hit Schenn threw on Jon Sim just a couple of hours ago. Like Komisarek and Beauchemin, Schenn is finally starting to look comfortable. He's finishing his checks, he's not chasing the puck and he's not letting his man slip by him as much as he did earlier in the season. Ron Wilson has noticed and as a result, Schenn's minutes have started to steadily increase. He played 19:25 tonight compared to the 10 minutes a game he was getting just a couple of weeks ago. Welcome back, OLAS.

Two goals against

I don't know if it's his health, a fluke or Francois Allaire but Toskala has only allowed two goals in each of his last two starts. Sure, the Leafs have played better defensively but this is still Vesa Toskala. I can't really explain it but I don't want this to end. I BELIEVE IN VESA TOSKALA??/

Two annoying fans

I sat behind two very annoying fans. I knew it was going to be a long night when during the warm-up, one of them asked the other who was in net for the Isles and he responded with "I think Garth Snow."

Other annoying things they did
-They kept trying to heckle Roloson (from the 300s) by screaming "Rolllllll-sooooon"...you know there's another O in there somewhere
-Kept referring to Grabovski as Grabovs. I've heard Grabbo and Grabs but Grabovs? That just sounds weird
-They spat out incorrect facts. Roloson faced 61 shots and stopped 58 the last game. He didn't stop 62
-They added "son" to the end of every sentence and described things as "ill"


Two times the fun

They played "the song" twice! Once before the game and once after. I need that for my ipod. Haters gon' hate!

Thanks For Voting

Nick Names for Sale

If you've ever watched European hockey leagues you probably wondered what team the players played for. The Djurgarden Peugeots? The Copenhagen Tissots? Huh? With all the ads covering their jerseys, it's tough to tell exactly which are brandname logos and which are their team logos. I remember there being rumblings about bringing that over to the NHL to bring more revenue into the sport. I dreaded it and didn't think I could stomach watching my Leafs with McDonald's logos plastered all over their sweater. Well, I have come up with an idea to end those talks before they start up again. I'm sure you are as tired of uncreative nicknames as I am. Why is it that all NHLers these days just take the first syllable from a players' name and add a "y/ie" or "er" to the end? I mean Kabby, Komi, Ovie, Caber? That's just lazy and basically kills any notion that they will ever have a cool nickname. Since they're wasting their potential, why not make the most of it and sell the rights to their nickname for a few bucks? Looking at the Leafs roster, here's a few that I could really push for them if they let me. Luke "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser" Schenn

The human eraser is probably the only good thing to come out of Pierre Maguire's mouth, ever. So why not take advantage of such a rare moment? My pitch to Mr. Clean would be simple. Luke Schenn is strong, durable and rubs dirt off the boards. The kid is so impressive he sells himself. I'll still take my 10% cut though. Jason "Smith & Wesson" Blake

If you're unfamiliar with Smith & Wesson, you are probably Canadian or a peace loving hippie. S&W are the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. Right off the bat, there's a noticeable resemblance between the two, they're both made in the USA! You want to stop somebody dead in their tracks? Pop them a couple of times in the chest with 9mm. Well, Blake's accuracy is just as outstanding. He never seems to have any trouble hitting goalies square in the chest. SOLD! Lee "Scotch Invisible Tape" Stempniak

There are times when you need when you need visible tape; like when you're painting your house. Then there times when you really wish you had some invisible tape; like when you break your glasses and need a quick fix. Well, I can't think of a more invisible player in the NHL than Lee Stempniak. I can't really tell you what he brings to the table because I don't even notice him on. There's been a rumour circulating around that the Ann/Annhog/Who?/Egg character from Arrested Development was actually based on our buddy Lee. Colton "Trojan Magnum" Orr

Colton Orr was brought in for his size and his ability to protect his teammates. True, Burke probably didn't need an enforcer that big, I mean Tie Domi wasn't exactly huge, but like most men, he felt the need to over compensate. Mike "Firestone" van Ryn

While one is made of black rubber and the other is known to hit black rubber, they are both known to explode under pressure. Now Firestone probably won't be happy with van Ryn if he's on the shelf all the time. Well that's okay, we'll have an open clause in their contract where they can jump from player to player. Once van Ryn is on the DL, we can assign the name to Colaiacovo, Gaborik, Havlat and many other viable candidates around the league. If van Ryn is willing, we can also infuse Firestone rubber into his bones and watch him wipe out when making sharp turns. Wayne "Tampax" Primeau

Tampax is probably the most famous brand of tampons available and why not? They're proven and dependable (I would only assume). Wayne Primeau is basically the tampon to the NHL's vag. He's not exactly a player somebody would want on their team, I would straight up call him a plug. When the game is going at too quick of a place, I'm sure Ron Wilson won't hesitate to throw him on the ice to stop the flow of the game. As far as stopping leaks, I guess we'll see how much of a pounding his face can take. Jeff "Hermes" Finger

Now I don't know how many of the visitors that visit my blog are female, but if you are, you probably knew exactly what that picture was of while most of us males were left scratching our heads. It is a Hermes Feu2Dou Canvas bag and it costs around $5,650. It's expensive, not flashy and you can get a bag from Walmart that serves the same purpose for $56.50. Sound familiar?

Now in case this idea ever gains momentum, I started it first and I fully expect a cut from every deal made!

Help Me Pick Out My Leafs Jersey

If you know me personally, you are aware of my bad luck when it comes to Leafs jerseys. I bought a Mogilny jersey during his second season with the Leafs only to have him get injured for basically the entire season. The very next season he played for the Devils River Rats.

My other jersey is a Sundin which I purchased when the Reebok Edge jerseys came out. Needless to say, I didn't get much mileage out of that either.

With two defunct Leafs jerseys, I feel a new one is due. For once, I would like to own one of a player who would be active for more than one season but with all the new additions to this year's line up, whose name and number should I get? Well, Barilkosphere, if we've learned anything over the past couple of days, it's that everybody loves a good vote. With that said, let's head to the polls!

Meet The Candidates:

Luke Schenn

Campaign: I bring hits and lots of them. I don't mind the fisticuffs and won't have a problem protecting the homeless. I will be a staple on the blue line for many years to come and will one day Captain this team. Vote Schenn because I. AM. OLAS!!!1

Opposition's rebuttal: A glorious choice indeed but seeing as he will be the future captain, you will need to update his jersey once he gets the C. You might as well wait for him to be named captain before picking one up.

Mikhail Grabovski

Campaign: I score, yes? I Belarusian, we crazy, yes? I Habs killer, yes? Vote me, yes? Free vodka for everybody.

Opposition's rebuttal:
Nazem Kadri

Campaign: Can you think of a better endorsement from Burkie than "Is that the kid you want? Well we're going to take him."Forget Luke Schenn, I'm the future! Schenn ain't scoring no goals. Vote Kadri for an optimistic future.

Opposition's Rebuttal: Sure, Kadri can light it up in the OHL but can he produce at an NHL level? He's still young. It's entirely possible that he could bust prematurely.


Jiri Tlusty

Campaign: Father give me tip, I...how to say...nervous no more. I play AHL good. Bring game to NHL level. I penetrate defence. I like to score. Vote Tlusty for hard play, your vote will not get the shaft.

Opposition's Rebuttal: Yes, Jiri. We can see that you like to score.

Vernon Wells' stroke in clutch situations saves the day again

Tomas Kaberle

Campaign: 4 time all-star, shooting accuracy champion, amongst the league leader in points by defencemen every year. The credentials really speak for themselves. Vote Kaberle if you're looking for results!

Opposition's Rebuttal: Remember the last time you got a jersey of an older veteran who's contract was almost up? Yeah, that's what I thought. I know you're not ballsy enough to do it again.

Francois Beauchemin

Campaign: See this? I don't skate on ice, I wear that shit, bitches. Bling bling, muthafucka. How many other players on our team has one of these? I will delegate Defence Minister duties to my left hand. Vote Beachemin or I will fuck you up like I did Kopecky.

Opposition's Rebuttal: He's coming off of a major knee injury. Who knows how well he'll play during his three year contract. What if he turns out to be the second coming of Aki Berg?

Mike Komisarek

Campaign: As you can see in the video, I have a lot of experience exterminating pests. With all the city strikes in Toronto, looks like that skill will be much needed. If that's not enough to convince you then just look at me. I'm so ridiculously handsome that it would be a crime not to vote for me. Vote Komisarek. I'll take out the trash and look good doing it.


Opposition's Rebuttal: Let's see here. We have Komisarek for fives year. We play the Bruins six times a season...you multiply the six, carry the one...that's 30 times during the term of his contract not including playoffs. Lucic will kill him before those fives years are up. Don't waste your money!

Jonas Gustavsson

Campaign: 42 games played, 1.96 GAA with a .932 Save % in the regular season. 10 games played, 1.03 GAA with a .961 save % and 5 shut outs in the PLAYOFFS!!!1 Though it wasn't the NHL, the SEL is nothing to scoff at. I recall another goalie from the SEL making the transition pretty nicely. Vote Gustavsson if you're tired of sub .900 save % from your goalies!

Opposition's Rebuttal: Jonas Hoglund plays in the SEL. Is this the competition this guy is facing? Wait for him to get a taste of the NHL before getting excited. Sure he could be the next Lundqvist but what if he's more like the next Trevor Kidd?

Well those are the candidates. If you're voting other then please leave a name in the comments. All entries will be carefully examined as long as it isn't a jersey foul. Time to make your vote count!*

*All vote results are subject to change in the event of martial law.

Which jersey should I get?

• 
  
  Luke Schenn


• 
  
  Mikhail Grabovski


• 
  
  Nazem Kadri


• 
  
  Jiri Tlusty


• 
  
  Tomas Kaberle


• 
  
  Mike Komisarek


• 
  
  Jonas Gustavsson


• 
  
  Screw the young guys, let's pay homage to a legend


• 
  
  Other

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