As if we weren't all busy enough with Christmas and holiday preparations, and for you fellow accounting-type workers year-end now only three weeks away, the Leafs have decided to pack four games into our schedule for this week. Here's what's coming:

Monday: Leafs @ New York Islanders
Tuesday: Leafs @ New York Rangers
Wednesday: no game
Thursday: Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Friday: no game
Saturday: Leafs vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

This will be the first games of this season for the Leafs against the Islanders, Rangers, and Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets in particular you better get used to seeing as all three games against them this season are lined up on the schedule through the rest of this month; on the 14th, 23rd, and once again on the 29th. That's NHL scheduling for you.

The New York teams sit first and third in the Metropolitan division, so yes both are scary. We'll have more in our preview out late this morning.

In the meantime, let's check in with the Marlies who only played one game this weekend, once again against the Grand Rapids Griffins who they faced back on Tuesday. The Griffins were on their third game in three days, the previous two games over in Belleville, so they were certainly not at their best, but the Marlies win was still convincing.

Topi Niemelä got things kicked-off.

Nick Abruzzese went end-to-end with help from Logan Shaw for the second.

Pontus Holmberg finished them off.

And that's Ryan Tverberg there on the assist. Tverberg was back for his first game since being injured back in October, so he's missed a lot of time but looked good for a first game back.

Other News

There's more fallout from the Dylan Larkin incident on Saturday. In-person hearings are offered for potential suspensions over five games. The DoPS has since updated that the hearing will be today.

Oh and we have one more too.

And one more to plan for.

Kyle Dubas found a toonie digging around in the NHL couch.

Former Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi joins Penguins on tryout
Jesse Puljujärvi has joined the PIttsburgh Penguins on a tryout, the club announced on Sunday.
Sportsnet| December 10, 2023, 11:05 AM

You're never too old to be a goalie... though your hips might disagree with that sometimes.

Summerside’s Smitty: 81-year-old goalie on P.E.I. still has the moves | CBC News
Gerard Smith, 81, is still taking shots twice a week during a noon-hour hockey league in Summerside. His philosophy: ‘You don’t get old by playing. You get old if you don’t play.’
CBCNancy Russell

And if you are out and about this week, remember that the entire intersection of Bay & Adelaide is closed for the whole week, meaning traffic will be a ghastly mess downtown. The only consolation is that York Street has now reopened to northbound traffic.

Take it from Willy Nylander, ride the subway to the games on Thursday and Saturday.

From The Branches