Maple Leafs (35-23-8) @ Sharks (28-33-4) 10:30 p.m. ET
Watch on: Sportsnet Ontario, NBCSCA (blackouts in effect)
Opponent’s site: Fear the Fin

Good evening, everyone. It’s late. Really late! Welcome to the Maple Leafs California road trip.

First up tonight is a battle between two teams on which Patrick Marleau was always on one of their rosters for the first 1,715 games of his NHL career. And now, as of last week, Marleau plays in Pittsburgh. It feels weird that he is not on either team in this game.

Here’s your theme for the night. What other song would you expect from someone who was a teen in the 90’s? Actually, I never watched The O.C. at all. I never understood the appeal of shows where late 20-somethings, or even 30-somethings, are cast in high school dramas and badly act their way through cringe-worthy portrayals of teenagers.

How many points are the Leafs getting on this road trip?

6: These Cali teams are all terrible now.12
4 or 5: One of them always gets a surprise win against the Leafs.32
2 or 3: And we’ll all panic.24
1: I am not an optimist.2
0: And I will avoid Leafs Twitter at all costs after that third game.3
Game Coverage