After a break that gave the usual suspects a chance to get some digs on the Leafs - seriously, did any mittenstringer read that the Leafs were also in the top ten MOST desireable places to play? - the buds will be back in action as they take on some team that they subsidise because they play in a shitty hockey market. I haven't even checked which on it is because there are so many. The bright side of the break is that it gave Slava Duris a chance to compile his scoring chance data to the halfway-ish mark of the season. Some highlights:

Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur, and Nikolai Kulemin are the only three regular forwards on the team with plus ratings. Kessel is slightly below zero while playing with career AHLer Joey Crabb (apparently a very "high event" player) on his left wing for the last little while (and Tyler Bozak at centre all year).

Weird how a good player can struggle with a career AHLer and a struggling sophomore eh? Bet that doesn't happen to anyone else. Oh, and a reminder about my favourite hobby horse:

Francois Beauchemin remains the team's top shutdown defender, as he boasts the lowest CA/60 amongst the corps while matching up against top opposition night after night.

The data on the powerplay and penalty kill are equally insightful.

More links after the jump!

Brodeur is a Fraud: The Streakiness of Stamkos
Two six game goalless streaks? Total perimeter player that doesn't play defence.

Unreleased Questions From The NHLPA Survey
I don't know why CBC Sports hid these answers.

Four Questions
Vinay Menon has some questions and an uncooperative wife.

What We Learned: So help me, I loved NHL All-Star weekend
The worst person on the internet, as per Dan Ellis, loved the All-Star Weekend.

Winnipeg, Quebec Still Waiting for N.H.L. Return
Spoiler Alert: you're not getting a team.

Profile Of The Sabres New Owner
New Owner in "Rich guy abuses money and power and flouts law" shocker.

Washington’s 2009-10 Shooting Percentage…
DJ says Gabe is wrong. This should work out well.

This **** is Getting too Complicated!
What a shock. Mathematics triumps.

In-the-right Islanders should let Nabokov go, after season
Larry Brooks starts out right and then loses the plot.

The Leafs: can’t help the past; the future always looks brighter—what about the here and now?
Could there be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Sure. Just gotta catch a leprechaun.

Baby Eaters of the Week: Hometown Edition
I assumed Rush Limbaugh would be on this list.

From The Branches