Toronto at Buffalo Tonight

What a great season so far, huh?

The Sabres are winning, and Toronto is absolutely the worst team in hockey at the moment, which brings joy to everyone in Buffalo but those trying to resell their Leafs tickets to stupid Toronto fans who are usually willing to pay hundreds of dollars to watch the shitastrophy know as the Maple Leafs.

I wish I could say I was sorry, or had some twinge of bad feelings for the Leafs and their boorish fans, but I don’t.  The only way it could get better is if Doug Gilmour, Darryl Sittler, Borje Salming, and Wendel Clark all got together and lit Canadian flags on fire while drinking Budweiser and singing the Star Spangled Banner.

Just for fun, let us look at the team that gets the bulk of the media attention in the hockey world.  Here’s how they have finished this decade:

• 2008-09: 24th
• 2007-08: 23rd (T)
• 2006-07: 18th
• 2005-06: 18th (T)
• 2003-04: 5th
• 2002-03: 9th
• 2001-02: 3rd
• 2000-01: 14th (T)

That’s a quick and precipitous decline ever since the lockout ended.  To go from the Conference Finals in 2001-02 to no better than 18th overall since the lockout is a steep decline, especially for a team with such a passionate fanbase.

So this year was supposed to be different.  Brian Burke is running the show, and he brought in Ron Wilson to coach up a team of goons hard-nosed players who have more heart than talent.  Problem is, being a goon hard-nosed player doesn’t mean you can score goals or play NHL level defense, something Toronto has been lacking this year.  Even their goaltending, which was supposed to be rescued by a Swedish import who played in an AHL-plus level league last year, has been a disappointment.

Add to that a penalty kill that has been stopping opponents at a jaw-dropping rate of 63.4%, and you have all the makings of a season aimed at securing the No. 1 draft pick.  What’s that?  Oh, that’s right!  Toronto gave up their first round pick both this year AND next year, AND a second-round pick this year in the Phil Kessel trade!  Brilliant move, Burkie!  And after proving so well that Toronto can operate in a salary cap environment they give up the lifeblood of the team, draft picks.  It’s going to be a looong few years for the Leafs.

So where does that leave the Sabres?  In the most obvious and least newsworthy story of the past decade the Sabres held on to Tyler Myers.  Duh.  And to think how many pixels have been dedicated to online polls and pleas that he must -MUST- stay…

The Sabres are also the proud owners of a five-game winning streak against the Leafs, dating back to December of 2008.  Not coincidentally, Ryan Miller is 5-0 with a 1.20 goals-against in those five games.

Looks like Lydman and Sekera are still out, although Andrej could be back tomorrow night.  Paetsch has acquitted himself well, all things considered, and shouldn’t have too hard a task at home tonight with Lindy Ruff being able to get the matchups he wants on his own ice.

Other than that, all systems are go for a 7:30 start tonight.  I would expect a lower-than-usual number of Leaf sweaters in the stands, and thus a corresponding drop in drunken boorishness.  At least from the Toronto fans, that is.

PS – last minute stat sent my way by my brother-in-law:

Toronto gave up the game’s first goal for the 10th straight time against Dallas and has not yet scored any earlier than 14:27 of the first period.

Sounds good to me.  SonTwo and I will be in the ol’ BfloBlog seats tonight, and they rarely lose with him in attendance.

UPDATE:  Via Twitter, Paul Gaustad is questionable tonight with the flu.  Adam Mair will skate in his place if he can’t go.