Op-Ed: Deep Thoughts on Sports: Toronto Maple Leafs Vs. Montreal Canadiens Edition

Real heroes - Canadian war veterans - took to the ice last night and before I mildly entertain you with my thoughts on yesterday's game, I must embark on a short, but important, rant

Over the last week or so, through my travellings along the streets of midtown Toronto, I've picked up four poppies off the ground. I don't care where you're from or what you think about Remembrance Day, poppies should not be on the pavement. Ever. Do me a favour and don't walk past the next poppy you see on the ground. Pick it up. Clean it off, and wear it. Or put it on your bag. I think you would agree that it's the least you can do for the greatest of generations. A Man Crush Is Developing How about Grabs, eh? Kid is fly. Actually, the kid can fly. I think he is clearly the most talented Maple Leaf on the team this year. How about that move to get by Andrei Markov on the first goal? Dirty. Grabs ripped apart his former club, was all over the ice, and, well, the sensitive little Habitents didn't like it. I believe the perception in Montreal is that Grabovski quit on the Habs last year, after he asked for a trade because he was buried on the depth chart and barely playing. Ok, not the greatest attitude for a young player to exhibit, but in Grabs' defence, I don't really give a damn about what he did before he arrived in Toronto. All that matters now is that he's a Maple Leaf, he's scoring, and he's helping us beat Montreal. Pissing off renowned tough guys like Saku Koivu and Sergei Kostitsyn in the process is just icing on the cake. It's funny how much Koivu loves to chirp when the guy he's dealing with is actually his size. As for "Little Tits" Kostitsyn, we learned that when he wants a piece of Grabs, the linesman has to hold him back. Scary. Attaboy, Grabs. Way to stick it, Costanza style, to your former club. I'm looking forward to the next Leafs and Habs tilt to see what more tricks our boy Mikhail has up his sleeve for his former mates. And I'm sure Habs fans, because they are just so damn original, will be booing our boy every time he touches the puck. I can't wait. I don't know if it's just me, but Grabs' success is all the more sweeter because he's a Montreal cast-off. Damn you, Tom Kostopoulos Mike Van Ryn has a concussion, a broken nose, and a broken finger. All thanks to a Kostopoulos cheap shot from behind. Van Ryn, arguably the Leafs' best defenceman this season, will miss at least a month. I can't imagine Kostopoulos will miss more than three or four games via suspension, at the most. It's true: there is no justice like vigilante justice. Get well soon, Van Ryn. And keep your head up, Kostopoulos. Still on the subject, I've got to show some love to Carlo Colaiacovo for stepping up for his fallen comrade. As soon as Van Ryn's face was introduced so rudely to the glass, Carlo's gloves were off, and he was chucking in the direction of Kostopoulos' dirty mug. And that's how it should be. Thanks Carlo. You are appreciated. Carlo was also quick to get into Andre Kostitsyn's grill after he tripped Luke Schenn into the boards late in the first period. Colaiacovo was there, no questions asked, for his teammates, and it was just another example of why I fancy him. What The Heck? After last night's joyous 6-3 win, your Toronto Maple Leafs are the highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference, with 47 goals in 15 games. Full disclosure: The Leafs are the worst defensive team in the Eastern Conference as well, having allowed 54 goals in 15 games. But let's just focus on the first, more happy, stat. Thanks. Best Celebration Ever How about our Eastern Bloc boys on that sixth goal? It was strange enough to see Ponikarovsky finish like that in tight near the crease, but then he went flying into Antropov, knocking the big Kazakh awkwardly into the boards. The two of them ended up lying on the ice staring at each other, and I thought Poni was going to tell Antro how much he loved him, and poke him in the face. My initial concern was that Antro was injured, because a collision with his own teammate after a goal would have been a typical Antropov injury. I was most releaved to see him get up and watch Matt Stajan proceed to put his stinky glove in his face. Ian White Haters to Aisle 3 Are you guys still out there? I mean, I'm of the always right opinion that Ian White has played pretty well since he's been inserted into the lineup as a forward. God, and Ron Wilson, knows that he's better than Ryan Hollweg. Anyway, White turned out to be a pretty valuable commodity last night. He returned to the blue line after Van Ryn was lost and finished with an assist and a +1 rating in 14 minutes of ice time. White is a skilled Wade Belak, and I'm glad he's on our side. I've come to terms with the fact that this town needs a scapegoat (see: Murphy, Larry and McCabe, Bryan), but if it has got to be someone, can it not be Ian White or Jason Blake? Can we all agree to let Hollweg wear the crown? Let's be honest, becoming the scapegoat would in all likelihood be the most significant accomplishment of Hollweg's Leafs career. Balanced Scoring Antro's leading the team with 13 points. Niklas Hagman, who is an absolute delight to watch every night and a bargain at $3 million a year, has 12. Ponikarovsky and Stajan have 11. (Seriously, Stajan has 11 points.) Grabs has 10 points, including a team-high seven goals. So, can Mats Sundin play defence?