Budding Leafs

Tonight it felt good to be a Leaf fan. I remembered that feeling of pride and joy from deep down within while watching a team win. My team. Beating the Ottawa Senators and breaking their 11 game win streak couldn't have been more satisfying. Take that Alffy. You hitting Tucker from behind years ago in the playoffs and burying that game winning goal top shelf still hurts. But tonight was a different story. The '09/'10 season has been abysmal for leaf nation to say the least. As a team, it just hasn't clicked the way Brian Burke had hoped for. The way Toronto hoped for. Tonight though, perhaps with Burke and his family in mind, the leafs played an inspired game of hockey. They seemed to have that little extra step tonight. So many factors seemed to work in our favour tonight. We had an injection of youth in Chris Hanson and Tyler Bozak, and they seemed to set the tone, as everyone in a white sweater was flying around the ice tonight. Luke Schenn who scored a pair of similar goals down the right wing looked great. I was talking before the game with a friend about concerns over Schenn and his developemt but hopefully tonight may jsut have been the confidence this kid needs. Not only did he have a 3 point night, but he played a solid game. Him on the boards late in the 3rd winning a battle and keeping the puck in the Senators zone summed it up for me. Then there was Kessel. 2 dingers and the Leafs first 20 goal scorer of the season. The anticipation late in the 3rd to see if either he or Schenn would complete the hat-trick was giddy-ish. A feeling I'd to keep on Saturday nights. And then there was J.S Giguere. The Leafs out played the Sens so he wasn't too troubled, but when he was called upon, he certainly answered. He saved his best save with seconds to go when it appeared as though Ottawa was going to break the goose egg but Jiggy remained focused and made a slidding save with anxious viewers looking on. Back to back shut-outs in his new home of Toronto will have the city buzzing with allusions of Eddie Belfour, who too began his career in Toronto with a shut-out, and like Giguere, appeared as though his better days were behind him. Tonight though, tonight was a good night. Our super star put in 2. Our young defensemen appeared to find a groove. Phaneuf played solid. As did the youths. Gigeure picked up the SO and most important of all, we beat the Ottawa Senators. Overall a great night to be a Leaf fan.