The Leafs next game is Saturday at the ACC, hosting the Flyers, after which they begin a 7 game road trip, though I assume they will get to go home for Christmas at some point in the middle of it. Through the end of January the Leafs will have only 5 more home games, and 14 away games. Hold on to your butts.

Here's the PPP game recap from Bower Power.

Surging Leafs hit predictable stumbling block.
Siegel knows what's up.

Familiar faults bite Leafs again in loss to Carolina.
So does Mirtle.

Here is Randy Carlyle's post game press scrum.

Elsewhere last night

C'est La Vie
Resignation at Copper and Blue as the Oilers lose again, now back up to six losses in a row. We should have a contest to see on what day they will be officially eliminated.

Max Pacioretty hospitalized after Clayton Stoner hit - Puck Daddy
No penalty called. What do you think?

Martin Brodeur ate a puck last night.
He just needed a light snack to make it through to the end of the game.

World Juniors

TSN: Canada tries to silence doubters with world junior gold drought at five years
Good luck with that!

Don't forget to print out your Team Canada World Junior Bingo Card!

In other news...

Great Moments in Interim Coaching History: NHL Version
DGB talks about the unglamorous life of the "Interim Coach".

108 athletes, coaches, officials and sports administrators came out publicly this year.
Outsports looks back at 2014 as another watershed year for LGBT people in sports. (They Reimer and Bernier)

From The Branches