Michael Stuart: The Wait is Over

Hope yawl do better than my Wings did!

Thanks for shepherding us through this lapse with great material Michael!

Thanks for shepherding us through this lapse with great material Michael!
- Bartacus

You folks make it fun! This board is always generating good discussion.

Same old maple leafs lol.

It's one game into the season with no training camp. Speaking of scoring chances I hope you are ready to see a whole bunch in your end tomorrow night

Same old maple leafs lol.

It's one game into the season with no training camp. Speaking of scoring chances I hope you are ready to see a whole bunch in your end tomorrow night
- legendguy

The blog quite literally says that I'm expecting this.

6-3 Ottawa! Stützle and Norris with hattricks. WOOOO!!!

Man, why didn't Dorion not sign a guy like Travis Hamonic? I'm good with the offence and goaltending group. But not about the D. How is it good for Chabot to play close to have the game again. Moreover who are we developing on D?
I like the Gudbranson add but having Zaitsev here is just another Ceci.

6-3 Ottawa! Stützle and Norris with hattricks. WOOOO!!!
- PogBoi

I'll predit game goes to OT.
Sens will win in OT or leafs in shootout.

I will say Stuetzle has 1 point and Tkachuk scores.

yeah much appreciated Michael. You made me miss hockey a bit less by providing quality content.

Really looking forward to see the top six play tonight.

The blog quite literally says that I'm expecting this.
- Michael_Stuart

shame on you Michael, for assuming that someone who cheers for the leafs actually knows how to read

The Leafs are definitely better than Ottawa, at least on paper. That being said, I think the game'll be tight and will most likely go in OT.

The Leafs are definitely better than Ottawa, at least on paper. That being said, I think the game'll be tight and will most likely go in OT.
- Panzer_IVA

i think the leafs will have to rely on a perimeter game, they'll get obliterated if they go to the net.

i suspect that nylander will have a good game for them tonight, perimeter hockey is his bread and butter.

i agree that the leafs are a better team on paper, for now, but their defence and goaltending is still very shaky.....and i think they've lost a lot of scoring depth from last year with the departure of kapanen and johnsson. if you can shut down their top 2 lines (easier said than done), or at least minimize the damage, then i think ottawa has a chance

It's weird to see Paquette playing on wing.

But I will be glad if Coburn gets regular playing time. Always liked that guy and I think he still has something left in the tank.

We’re back baby!!!

Very stoked to finally have a Sens game back after 10 long months.
(Thanks for keeping thigns going with blogs all that time!)

Excited to see what the prospects can do, hoping Smith gives them a long leash.

i think the leafs will have to rely on a perimeter game, they'll get obliterated if they go to the net.

i suspect that nylander will have a good game for them tonight, perimeter hockey is his bread and butter.

i agree that the leafs are a better team on paper, for now, but their defence and goaltending is still very shaky.....and i think they've lost a lot of scoring depth from last year with the departure of kapanen and johnsson. if you can shut down their top 2 lines (easier said than done), or at least minimize the damage, then i think ottawa has a chance
- sensarmy_11

I don't know, I think this notion of Ottawa being "big and tough to play against" might be a little overstated.

The Sens D could jsut as easily get walked by the leafs speed.

We'll find out tonight. Excited regardless.

Man, why didn't Dorion not sign a guy like Travis Hamonic? I'm good with the offence and goaltending group. But not about the D. How is it good for Chabot to play close to have the game again. Moreover who are we developing on D?
I like the Gudbranson add but having Zaitsev here is just another Ceci.
- AlfieisKing

Trading Ceci away to have Ceci for another 5 years

6-1 Leafs

i think the leafs will have to rely on a perimeter game, they'll get obliterated if they go to the net.

i suspect that nylander will have a good game for them tonight, perimeter hockey is his bread and butter.

i agree that the leafs are a better team on paper, for now, but their defence and goaltending is still very shaky.....and i think they've lost a lot of scoring depth from last year with the departure of kapanen and johnsson. if you can shut down their top 2 lines (easier said than done), or at least minimize the damage, then i think ottawa has a chance
- sensarmy_11

Nylander was one of the league leaders in goals scored around the net. So your argument that he is a perimeter player doesn't hold water.

https://twitter.com/MikeK.../1217253520610603013?s=19

i think the leafs will have to rely on a perimeter game, they'll get obliterated if they go to the net.

i suspect that nylander will have a good game for them tonight, perimeter hockey is his bread and butter.

i agree that the leafs are a better team on paper, for now, but their defence and goaltending is still very shaky.....and i think they've lost a lot of scoring depth from last year with the departure of kapanen and johnsson. if you can shut down their top 2 lines (easier said than done), or at least minimize the damage, then i think ottawa has a chance
- sensarmy_11

Leafs defence and goaltending may be shaky, but to be fair, still significantly better than Ottawa

I’m looking forward to Gudbranson and Bogosian vying for the title of best “guy who was drafted in the top five but quickly proved to be average-at-best so transitioned into a purely physical shut down role and is now barely clinging to a job” in the league

Leafs win 4-1

It has been a LONG wait, so some degree of hyperbole is understandable... but "they'll get obliterated if they go to the net." Obliterated? Really? I guess we'll see.

A more likely scenario is guys shaking their heads and thinking "damn, I should have obliterated that guy" after getting schooled and scored on... Again, I guess we'll see.

Sens do have history of playing Leafs tight, and Leafs have a (much) longer history of nothing ever being easy.

Good to be back chirping about this stuff.

Poor Wolanin if he has to play with Zaitsev

Nylander was one of the league leaders in goals scored around the net. So your argument that he is a perimeter player doesn't hold water.

https://twitter.com/MikeK.../1217253520610603013?s=19
- legendguy

i'm 100% basing that off of what i read in leafs threads last year........everyone in those blogs said he was soft and didn't go to the net. if it's wrong, i blame them.

Leafs defence and goaltending may be shaky, but to be fair, still significantly better than Ottawa

I’m looking forward to Gudbranson and Bogosian vying for the title of best “guy who was drafted in the top five but quickly proved to be average-at-best so transitioned into a purely physical shut down role and is now barely clinging to a job” in the league

Leafs win 4-1
- AxlRose91

i agree that the defence is much better, very debatable on goaltending IMO. Andersen gets lots of wins, but sv% and GAA are pretty shaky. i'd rather have Murray in net than Andersen

It has been a LONG wait, so some degree of hyperbole is understandable... but "they'll get obliterated if they go to the net." Obliterated? Really? I guess we'll see.

A more likely scenario is guys shaking their heads and thinking "damn, I should have obliterated that guy" after getting schooled and scored on... Again, I guess we'll see.

Sens do have history of playing Leafs tight, and Leafs have a (much) longer history of nothing ever being easy.

Good to be back chirping about this stuff.
- grim

Ottawa has a bunch of d-men who are huge and physical but who don't skate well.....strategy is then, stand in front of the net and kill anyone who comes close.

Gudbrandson and Brown will be no more than 5 feet away from Murray's crease all night, delivering a few of those cross checks that the leafs were crying about the other night.