So the Leafs are in Anaheim for the first time since 2003. If you haven't had a chance check out tonight's 5 Questions with Finny. MF37 at Bitter Leaf Fan is among the raft of Leaf fans that receive MLSE's Insider E-mails. The latest one provides the many options for watching tonight's game that are available as the game is on LeafsTV. The fourth option is to read about NHL Central Scouting's top ranked European and North American prospects to see who the Leafs will have a chance of drafting in June.
Toskala likely won't play which provides us with the only stats that matters in the second half of the season:
Andrew Raycroft hasn't been the answer in Toskala's absence, going 0-3-1 with a 4.47 GAA in his last four starts. Scott Clemmensen, who began the season in the minors, is 1-1-0 with a 4.33 GAA in two starts this month.
Toskala practiced Sunday and could return on this trip, which includes stops at Los Angeles on Thursday and San Jose on Saturday.
Toronto is 13-11-4 with Toskala in goal, and 3-7-4 without him.
Here are the home and road splits for some stats that might be considered either interesting or scary. The Leafs road penalty kill is at complete odds with the home version. On the road it looks like it belongs in the NHL and at home it looks like even Team Canada could score on it (good luck against the USA tomorrow!). It would be nice if the Leafs' powerplay could start working it's way out of the cellar since it's now actively costing the team games just as blatantly as when it was giving up a shorthanded goal every game. (I don't even take that sentence out of the preview anymore) Look at the OT/SO records. If the teams swapped then the Penguins would be in 12th and the Leafs in 5th. But let's still cancel the season.
| Road/Home | Maple Leafs | Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| Powerplay | 14.0% - 26th | 16.5% - 17th |
| Penalty Kill | 84.0% - 10th | 83.0% - 15th |
| OT/SO Record | 3-8 | 6-6 |
| Record | 8-10-3 | 13-6-4 |
Remember to put your guesses for who will score take the first shot, get the first penalty, and score the first goal in the comments. I finally updated the scores so that they are current as of today.
As always, the comment section is a wonderful place to vent and rage between periods or make hopeful predictions that you can tout in the future if they happen to come to pass. Each period and overtime/shootout gets their own section so just reply to the relevant section's main post and question how the team can look so good one night and so bad the next or even from minute to minute within the exact same game. Whatever you want to say all that you need to say it is to set up an account to comment so register and share your thoughts. I might actually be around tonight but for those listening on the radio (here) you can discuss how you imagine the play actually going. I find that my imagination never matches the highlights. I have to go take a nap if I am going to watch this bloodbath.
