Game #5: Toronto Maple Leafs at Chicago Blackhawks

Time: 7:00pm Eastern Time

Location: United Centre, Chicago, Illinois

Broadcast/Streaming: CBC, Game Centre Live, CBC.ca/sports

Radio: TSN1050, Sportsnet590

Opponent SBNation Site: Second City Hockey

The Maple Leafs:

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a .500 team. Not in the proper sense, they have one win and three losses, but since they have 4 out of a possible eight points the NHL considers this a success because the NHL is the freak league and can’t just base their standings on wins and losses like everyone else.

With a perfect home record (1 win) and an 0-1-2 road record the Maple Leafs are either playing to your expectations or failing miserably, depends on how you came into the season. I was the type who came into this year not expecting anything above 25th overall; not a bold choice but not cynical either when you look at the percentage of rookies on the forward corps, goalies new to the Leafs system, and defence that is 3/8ths top notch and 5/8ths filler.

If you were to make the bold prediction that they’ll be a cup contender next season this could be a disaster for you. Every single game played was a win for them until they let the game slip through their fingers. Game 1: Auston Matthews scores four goals, lose in OT. Game 3: Have a 4-0 lead, lose in OT. Game 4: Up 2-1, lose 3-2.

What does this mean overall? It means this is four games into a season with half the roster turned over and a team full of kids. They’ll learn not to let games get away from them. Let’s just ride the rookie wave guys, see where it takes us.

Martin Marincin is still day to day with his mystery injury, so we may see Roman Polak or Frank Corrado suit up on D tonight.

The Chicago Blackhawks:

The Blackhawks lost to Columbus last night.

[pause for laughter]

They also lost to the Blues in their season opener but defeated the Predators and Flyers, so a proper .500 team with two wins and two losses. Scoring isn’t an issue for them, having 16 goals in their first four games, and former Maple Leaf Richard Panik is leading the way with seven points (5G, 2A) and this is making (According to the Steve Dangle Podcast) Leafs bloggers bitch and moan about ‘losing him for nothing’ (however no names were mentioned and no one can seem to find an instance of this actually happening this season, which makes me believe it was a Sportsnet employee who did this and the iron grip of Rogers forced them to throw us under the bus).

No one misses Panik. You can throw a monkey onto a line with Toews and it could score a hat trick. Actually, with the ‘Hawks cap situation they may have to resort to putting a monkey out on the ice.

Which Blackhawks team will we get tonight, the winners or the losers?

The Blackhawks will be missing Andrew Desjardins and Trevor van Riemsdyk from their line up tonight due to injury.

Tonight:

The Maple Leafs will get their first challenge tonight against a top tier team. Can the kids still weave their magic against the likes of Toews, Kane, Panarin, and Keith? Will the Blackhawks look like their semi-dynasty selves against the lowly Maple Leafs?

Find out tonight!