The pre-season is here! The Toronto Maple Leafs kick it off Saturday with not one. but two games against the Ottawa Senators.

The very large training camp group has been split in two, and each group will play in one game. This is what used to be the time the split-squad games, with some sent to Ottawa to play a game while some would stay in Toronto and play, with both games happening simultaneously. This time the games are both in Toronto and they will be played sequentially. Game #1 is a matinee at 1:00 p.m. ET. and game #2 is an evening game starting at 7:00 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on Sportsnet, but different channels for each. The first game is on SNO, the second on SN1.

UPDATE: The Leafs won both one game!

Leafs Report Cards: Progress Report after first two preseason games against Senators

If you want to know who is playing in which game the details are here:

As for the goalies:

Meanwhile we still await news on Rasmus Sandin who still does not have a contract to play.

Other News

Ya this does look weird to not see him in orange.

Though perhaps he should be happy he’s out of Philly.

The 32 Thoughts team is doing podcast road trips this season, and they had their first edition on Thursday in London and invited some local hockey dads who shared some good stories.

Watch out for the grandmas though.

Sheldon Keefe: "Jordie Benn and Victor Mete look to be at a higher level than some of the other depth options"
[TRANSCRIPT] After practice on Friday, Sheldon Keefe discussed the roster battles playing out in camp on defense and at forward, some of the unheralded younger prospects (Bobby McMann, Curtis Douglas) pushing for spots, and the new heights Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews might be able to reach in 2022-23.

Former Avalanche center, Nazem Kadri’s Wash Park home for sale for $4M - Denver Post
[SPECIES: Kadri isn't only cashing in on his new contract with the Calgary Flames, he's also looking to pick up $1M or more on his house in Denver he bought for $3M in 2020.]

'1st time I felt Canadian': Newfoundlander among few who travelled to Russia for 1972 Summit Series | CBC Sports
Jim Herder, then 26, was among the roughly three thousand Canadians who travelled to Moscow for the final four games of the 1972 Summit Series in hopes of witnessing sports history. 50 years, later he sat down with CBC Sports senior reporter Jamie Strashin to recount his journey.

And 30 years ago last night Manon Rheaume became the first woman, and the only ever woman to play in an NHL game.

From The Branches