Two Points

Well, it sure feels good to be back in the 'Win' column. That it also brings the Leafs back to a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference doesn't hurt either, but there remains a lot of work to be done, and the Leafs' win has folks looking to the remaining 34 games rather than enjoying the moment.

For Michael Langlois, the most pressing concern is the Leafs' game tonight, where they finish off a back-to-back series with the Islanders:

The thing I really wanted to focus on today is what comes next for the Leafs, as in the game Tuesday night on Long Island. You might recall that after the win over Minnesota last week, I mentioned that while the victory was nice and all (coming as it did against a floundering team), the key was what the Leafs did afterwards, over the subsequent games.

Leafs Links:

Lombardi's pair lift Leafs over Islanders as the Monster shuts door
James Mirtle's recap at the Globe.

Time has come for Maple Leafs to strike
Well, I pretty much disagree with all the main points here, but I wouldn't be upset if Burke managed to snag a big "C" for Phil Kessel, either. From Jeff Blair at the Globe.

Joffrey Lupul: A Timeline
Joffrey Lupul for Masterton? Joffrey Lupul for Masterton. From Jeffler.

Marlies Hot & Cold: January 16th-22nd
The latest from Kyle Cicerella.

Maple Leafs Panel: Kadri, Kessel + Lupul, & Playoffs?
Mark Ascione asks the questions to a few Hockey Writers.

Target for the Next Winter Classic: 104,174
Jeff Klein and Stu Hackel think the NHL is setting its sights on a record.

Other Hockey Links:

Adjusting for Zone Starts
David Johnson of Hockey Analysis uses a time-based correction.

Tim Thomas on Obama snub
Just in case you didn't hear about this yesterday... hoo boy. From Greg Wyshynski at PD.

Alex Ovechkin suspended 3 games for ‘launching’ himself into Pens’ Michalek
And now the big baby is (rumored to be) contemplating boycotting the All-Star game. From Sean Leahy at PD.