Toronto Maple Leafs: The Legs Feed the Wolf, Boys
The Toronto Maple Leafs need to win this game.
I’m not typically one for a sense of urgency in regards to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but this upcoming game against the New Jersey Devils calls for it.
Nikita Soshnikov will make his 2017-18 season debut, remember that him being called up was basically a safety net move, albeit Mike Babcock would like him to be a Leaf for a long time.
His job tonight, to be good, to be mean, to be fast and to be a good penalty killer as per Dave McCarthy on Babs.
Frederik Andersen is also expected to be in net, so the push for this win is prompt, let’s hope for the best.
The Leafs will be coming into action on a hot streak, riding four straight wins, the last three of which have been without Auston Matthews who is still out with an undisclosed injury, I’m not overly concerned with that.
Now, you may be wondering what on earth my title means and that’s fair, it’s a little confusing and random, but I usually have a reason for most of my titles.
That being said, let me explain.
Herb Brooks
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This man defined coaching and needs no introduction, but what I will say about Herb Brooks is that he was an oddball – in a good way.
Mostly because of his strange sayings (idioms), one of which is my title, the legs feed the wolf and if you haven’t watched the movie, Miracle, I implore you to because it’s one of, if not, the greatest hockey movies out there.
But don’t tell me that the 1972 Summit Series was worse than the Miracle, any true hockey fan, regardless of their country, knows that the series was better than the game, not taking away from what happened at Lake Placid, just stated my case for what it’s worth.
Anyways, what that saying is describing is that you need to be fit, you need to be able to keep up with the competition (skate with them), that the work had to be put in before to achieve greatness at the end.
This New Jersey team is fast, one of the faster teams in the League, just like our Leafs, but the first time these two teams met this season, Toronto was embarrassed.
I played the role of the Devil’s advocate the other day and I won’t regurgitate myself, but I will say that tonight’s contest will be a challenge, a hard one at that.
It’s old news, but the Leafs will be without Matthews again and you better believe that the Devils were aware of the fact that he might have been out for tonight’s game, they’ve prepared.
Taylor Hall’s even said that it makes playing the Leafs easier, let’s hope that’s not the case as hopefully, Soshnikov will bring some tenacity with him and the style of play we’ve come to love from him with the Toronto Marlies doesn’t fade out.
On a positive note, we get to see Brian Boyle in action tonight and I expect some sort of tribute to him from the Leafs organization.
A special player.