The Toronto Maple Leafs opened training camp with a pair of games yesterday against the Ottawa Senators.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will enter this upcoming season as the NHL’s best team and favorite to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967.
The Senators are really happy about at least having a long-shot chance to make the playoffs this year. Though their chances of actually making it are low, they aren’t zero, and that is an improvement of thousands of percentages points.
The Senators have been a joke for a long, long time, but finally have a decent team to put on the ice, thanks in large part to the break out of Tim Stutzle and Josh “Chuck” Norris last year.
Still, they aren’t that good, and it’s because a) they lack the true superstar needed to compete (but Stutzle could be that guy, maybe) and b) their blueline is horrible. Outside of Tomas Chabot, and maybe Artem Zub, no one the Senators would even make the Marlies, let alone the Leafs.
Anyways, these two teams faced off yesterday in the afternoon, then again later in the evening. I didn’t watch either game because I do not watch preseason games, and I never will. If you want to, that is your business, but personally, with 82 games and then *(probably)* another four rounds of playoffs on top of that, I’m good for now.
Toronto Maple Leafs Split with Ottawa
I saw some highlights from what I think might have been game two, and Calle Jarnkrok appeared to almost have a hattrick. Good for him. Nice debut and all, but the Leafs would be crazy to have him on the second line.
If you are truly interested in the results of these games, TSN has highlights playing around the clock and there are 482 choices for game recaps if reading them is your thing. It isn’t mine.
I like to follow the preseason, but for the first game of the season to be the actual first game I watch. It seems more exciting and special that way.
I guess I just can’t get past the fact that the games don’t count – it just makes them way too boring for me. Personally, I find the games the most boring part about the pre-season. The stories, narratives, and comments from the coaches and GM are far more exciting this time of year.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t play again until Wednesday when they’ll take on the Canadiens, and then Ottawa again on Friday. The first game that counts is October 12th vs Montreal as well.