Last time the Leafs and the Canucks squared off it was a very physical, hard hitting game with some fights, scraps and even the goaltenders Ryan Miller and Frederik Andersen got involved. Toronto won the affair and was able to produce six goals coming out on top 6-3.

December is upon us and the Leafs are coming off a stinker 3-0 loss versus the Calgary Flames on a back-to-back night where they took care of the Oilers in a mannerly fashion the night before.

Andersen has been phenomenal now that he’s settled into his starting role on his new team. Enroth on the other hand has been struggling, mirroring the performances of Toskala and Bernier in the early goings of the season. At this point it seems quite obvious the team doesn’t have a whole lot of faith in their backup net minder.

Could it be an option for the Leafs to promote within and have one of Sparks or Bibeau backup the next game?

Or would it be a wiser decision to try and get Enroth on his game and get a win under his belt?

Whatever Babcock decides is good for me, but one thing is sure, if Enroth’s struggles continue it won’t be long before he’s looking from the outside, in. Next year the Leafs will certainly be looking at making a big push forward with a number of contracts coming off the books and a large chunk of salary open to add a quality free agent or two.

The main thing is, Andersen has been the answer for the Leafs goaltending woes and he’s their main stallion moving forward. The Leafs will have plenty of options in the off-season if Enroth doesn’t work out.

As for the Canucks, well, good luck to whoever wants to try and mix it up with the Maple Leafs Matt Martin. Matt will undoubtedly dance with any customer and punish them in doing so. Could the lucky customer be Derek Dorsett who was shying away from Martin last time to two teams squared off? My guess would be we see Erik Gudbranson and Martin have a doozy of a tilt at some point in this game.

Gudbranson was screaming at the end of last game, yelling so everyone could hear “Matt Martin’s dead, *beeping* dead!.”

Martin, who wasn’t fazed one bit by the comments, shrugged it off like the warrior he is. Honestly, Gudbranson is a big Canadian boy, but he’s barking up the wrong tree here and just may end up eating his words as well as a few knuckle sandwiches from the Leafs toughest customer.

Martin: “I don’t care too much about that,” Martin said matter-of-factly. “The game will be played the next time we play them and it will run its course I’m sure.”

The Leafs may be young and full of highly skilled players, but they have players like Martin and Komarov who will help police the game, ensuring no cheap shots will go un-noted. Komarov may not be one to drop the mitts very often but he offers a solid body check to go along with his pesty play, especially in front of the net and just before the whistle blows he finds a way to enrage his opponents.

Toronto’s Nazem Kadri absolutely hammered Daniel Sedin with a big hit in the Leafs zone, causing uproar as this game got very feisty in the third period. Kadri isn’t shy to lay a borderline hit, nor is he going to hide after. He’s been an offensive threat who’s been hitting hard and mixing it up, pleasing Babcock and the rest of his coaching staff on most occasions.

Morgan Rielly also laid a huge open ice hit near center ice, which was just another spark spit into the fire that erupted last time these two teams met in Toronto.

If the Leafs can play like they did last time the two teams met and use their speed to their advantage, it should be another shellacking as the Leafs beat up the Canucks on the ice and the scoreboard.

If Babcock and his Leafs can secure two points on Saturday night it will be a successful Western road trip coming out with four of a possible six points. This of course would be a step in the right direction as the Buds have struggled on the road this season. Such a young inexperienced team they likely play a much more confident game at home where they have their fans support and the coaching line-up matches that they want to ice. As the season goes on, the young players may become more comfortable on the road and it’s just one of those things that take some time.

Next week the Leafs only have two games: Wednesday versus Minnesota and Saturday versus Boston.

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!

Go lLeafs Go!

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