After losing to the Capitals in round one of the playoffs last year the Leafs came out flying last night, peppering Holtby early with a number of shots and high quality chances. If only they could have hit the net or picked up one of those bouncing pucks off a rebound they would have got an early lead. They really were hungry out the gates!

It wasn’t the high scoring affair that everyone predicted between the two offensive teams and it wasn’t Matthews or Ovechkin who scored a big goal for their team. It was Connor Brown who Babcock had just slid up to the JVR and Bozak line that buried the biscuit when the Leafs needed a goal. Kadri put the icing on the cake when he scored the empty net goal which of course sealed the deal.

No rest for the Buds as they prepare for a home game tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.

It will be Curtis McElhinney’s first start of the season and on a back to back. The game will start at 7:30 Eastern and the Leafs will be in tough tonight versus a Wings team that has been scoring a lot of goals lately. The Wings will be starting Jimmy Howard who has been great to start this season posting a 1.97 GAA and .942 save percent.

The Leafs will have to concentrate on shutting down the Wings top line which consists of Anthony Mantha, Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. Mantha has been playing lights out for the Wings and will certainly be a player the Leafs will want to zero in on.

Right now the Leafs are 5-1 and sitting in second place in the entire National Hockey League. It’s only the Atlantic Division leaders sitting at the top a mere point ahead of the Leafs; Tampa Bay. Tampa has played one game more than the Leafs and are sitting a point up, so with a victory tonight the Leafs will be sitting at the top in the standings which is always a good sign, even if we are only seven games into the season after tonight’s game against Detroit.

The Red Wings are 4-2 and are coming off a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Babcock put some extra money on the board tonight as the Leafs square off against his former team. After all, Babs is making eight million a year; I’m sure it won’t put a dent in his check book.

Andersen really shut the door last night on the Capitals and it was great to see him play a complete game as he and all goalies around the league have got off to tough starts with all the penalties being called.

The Leafs have a whopping 28 goals in 6 games, and you’re damned right that’s the most goals in the league, even more than Tampa who has played one more game.

Matthews leads the Leafs in goals and points with five goals and eight points. JVR and Kadri both have six points and Marleau and Nylander each have five. What’s good news for the Leafs is that Rielly and Zaitsev each have five points and there has been some decent contribution from the point.

Rielly is a player I was really hoping would take off this season in terms of production, he leads the Leafs with five assists, three of which have come on the man advantage.

Here is to hoping the Leafs and McElhinney get off to a good start tonight.

Go Leafs Go!

Thanks for reading.

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