Has the Leafs' penalty killing gotten any better? Is Dion Phaneuf the solid two-way defender we'd dreamed he could be? Is it worth it to hang on to Phil Kessel, as brilliant a player as he is, while the rest of this team's "core" looks inadequate? What about the goaltending? Is James Reimer good enough?

I have a somewhat existential outlook on this team right now.

It seems the Sharks aren’t fading into the sunset anytime soon
I think JB is getting a little too excited about The Sharks' good start, but they're still a pretty darn good team.

Dion Phaneuf Doesn't Suck
No, no he doesn't. From Five Minutes For Fighting.

Markham city council set to vote on arena financing plan
The attempt to bring another team to the GTA has reached the next hurdle. From David Shoalts.

Stats.hockeyanalysis.com updated with 2013 and team stats
David Johnson has a bunch of useful stats for your perusal.

PDO numbers by NHL team
Well, at least the Leafs aren't lucky. From Cam Charron at NHL Numbers.

P.K. Subban signs 2-year deal with Canadiens
Greg Wyshynski reports on the stupid deal. Well, it was stupid for Subban.

Is the Leafs penalty kill... good?
Let's not get ahead of ourselves. But it can't be as bad as last year... can it? From Cam Charron at TLN.

An old Maple Leaf I really loved and wore the crest proudly: Jim Dorey
Michael Langlois' latest.

A Girl’s Guide To Watching Sports
From The Fanatico Guide. Well worth a read.

While the women watch: a hockey fan guide for everyone - Stanley Cup of Chowder
Sidney Crosby is fairly attractive, by most people’s standards. Whether or not that’s your thing, it has actually become a big point of contention for a significant group of people: women. Are you allowed to like a player for his looks AND skills?

From The Branches