Game #2: The Battle of Ontario Begins Again

Who: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators

What: Game #2 of the Regular Season. Leafs 1-0-0 (2), Senators 0-1-0 (0)

Where: Air Canada Centre in Toronto Canada

When: TV - 7:00pm on CBC. Radio - AM640 Toronto

Why: To continue the Leafs' 4-year-long season series victory over Ottawa.

Take the jump for some thoughts on the matchup tonight and the projected rosters.

Last night I sat in Buffalo

Wings downing delicious morsels of chicken doing the same things I assume Head Coach Ron Wilson was doing last night, watching the Leafs next opponent get absolutely trounced in their season opener. Living up to the expectations of many, the Ottawa Senators would beaten like a red-headed stepchild in every aspect of the game. I would say the only player for them who actually gave a damn was

, but don't worry Nail Yakupov lovers in Ottawa, he'll probably get traded away for peanuts in a move that will help secure the first overall pick.

Just like me, Wilson must have loved what he saw. Sure the Wings employed their tried and true method of a solid puck possession game, but where they were most effective was on the forecheck and the transition game; the same two aspects that are the Leafs' strong suits. If golem on skates Todd Bertuzzi has the speed to get behind the Senators for a breakaway goal, just think what Phil Kessel or Matt Lombardi can do. If 5'11", 174lbs Darren Helm can out muscle the pylons on Ottawa's blueline, just think what Matt Frattin or Nikolai Kulemin will do to them in the corners. If Dion Phaneuf can fire laser beams past a top 5 goalie like Carey Price, just think what he can do to the tattered shooter tutor that is Craig Anderson. Oh yeah, and the Senators are playing back-to-back road games. Strap yourselves in folks, it's going to be one hell of a game tonight!

Projected Leafs Lineup

Forwards

Frattin-Grabovski-Kulemin

Lupul-Bozak-Kessel

Dupuis-Steckel-Armstrong

Orr-Lombardi-Brown

Defense

Phaneuf-Gunnarsson

Liles-Schenn

Gardiner - Komisarek

(Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Franson play instead of Gardiner.)

Goalies

Reimer

Gustavsson

Project Senators Lineup

Forwards

Milan Michalek - Jason Spezza - Nikita Filatov
Colin Greening - Mika Zibanejad - Daniel Alfredsson
Nick Foligno - Stéphane Da Costa - Chris Neil
Erik Condra - Zack Smith - Bobby Butler Zenon Konopka

Defense

Filip Kuba - Erik Karlsson
Jared Cowen - Sergei Gonchar
Chris Phillips - Brian Lee

Goalies

Craig Anderson (sieve)
Alex Auld

GO LEAFS GO!