These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
I think there's definitely a bit of pride at stake here, but it's more about the way the Leafs are looking at this game. This is THEIR big test, not ours, so they're going to come out blazing, the same way TB did when we started realizing our potential. So I think our team is gearing up for that, which does set up a "big game" atmosphere, even if two points is two points, and the outcome is almost inconsequential.
The Leafs are looking at us like a measuring stick. There's no way this is "just another game" for them, which, in turn, makes it a big game for us too.
That said, it still scares me that we're bringing Vasy back before it was anticipated. I feel like we have a long history of putting guys on the ice to appease their "warrior" mentality, rather than playing the long game, and making sure there's no chance whatsoever he could do damage tonight. Some injuries just nag players all year if they don't sit the **** down and let it heal.
Different injuries but after the mistakes we made with Ryan Callahan, I don't think they'd risk doing that to Vasy. But maybe I'm wrong.
But anyway you're right about this being the Leafs big test. It seems every week there's this big game we have to play against someone wants to knock us off for some personal reason. Whether's the games against Buffalo before and after their win streak, the games against Nashville in a potential SCF preview, the Avalanche seeing how they fare against us, the Leafs this week, or any time we play Detroit because they want to finally knock us off. But all that said our guys are used to this by now. We called the NYR a trap game and Stamkos scored his first hat-trick in 4 calendar years.
Barring injuries to key players, the absolute worst thing that happens is that we lose tonight and the Lightning thirst for payback.
All said I'm optimistic and irritated that I got called into work and am gonna miss this one.
c'est la vie