A few reflections on the NHL's return, as the Habs outlast the Leafs.
Bigger pipes
The 48th Highlanders Pipes and Drum Band have performed at the Toronto Maple Leafs home opener every year since 1931, and the tradition continued on Thursday.
Frankly, it was more appropriate than ever.
After all, Leafs GM Brian Burke has warned opposing teams that if they mess with the bigger and more belligerent squad he's put together, they better be willing to pay the piper.
Where were you in '72?
Since we're entering an Olympic year, the Leafs staged a pre-game tribute to a few Team Canada legends who made their mark on the international hockey scene. The hero of the famous '72 Series, Paul Henderson, was the last to be introduced and received a rousing ovation. However, it's embarrassing to admit that I have absolutely no recollection of Henderson's last minute goal that beat the Russians.
Instead, I remember Henderson for his groovy dance moves during a cameo appearance in a 1971 motion picture entitled "Face-Off". It's the story of Leafs rookie sensation Billy Duke and his love affair with a pretty folk singer that comes to a tragic end.
But the real tragedy is that while I can recall countless scenes from this Canadian cult classic, I can't remember the biggest goal in Canadian hockey history.
"We don't need no stinkin' Kessel!"
The Billy Duke of this year's Leafs?
Phil Kessel, who is celebrating his 22nd birthday this week. But on Thursday, the 36-goal newcomer watched the opener in his favourite suit thanks to a shoulder injury that will sideline him until November.
Still, that didn't keep veteran centre Matt Stajan from making an early bid to win the job as Kessel's new set-up man. Early in the game, Stajan ignored a perfect opportunity to shoot the puck at Carey Price and attempted a pass to Jason Blake that had no prayer of being completed.
Before the end of the night, however, Stajan scored a pair of goals and can be excused if he had the following thought:
"Forget about finding someone to play with Kessel; who's gonna feed me?"
The beauty and the boring
You want proof that the NHL season is finally here?
Just look at all the beautiful people who showed up for the curtain raiser at the Air Canada Centre, a group that included an attractive and particularly well-endowed young lass with a front-row seat. It was the best fake job, in fact, since former Hab Mike Ribeiro was famously accused of embellishing an injury during a 2004 playoff series against the Bruins.
The return of hockey also means more of those mind-numbing player interviews conducted during television intermissions. After the opening 20 minutes on Thursday, for instance, we learned from Alexei Ponikarovsky that the Leafs "Set the tone", "Bounced back", "Have to go hard", "Finish their checks", and that they were "Looking forward to the next two periods".
And they say investigative journalism is dead.
Curious Georges
As promised by Burke, the Leafs proved that this year's squad definitely won't back down.
Unfortunately, a rematch of last year's pillow fight between "The Battlin' Belarusians" Mikhail Grabovski and Sergei Kostitsyn wasn't on the card, as the Canadiens suspended Kostitsyn for refusing to report to the minors. But there were a few other bouts, including Colton Orr exchanging pleasantries with Georges Laraque. Wrestling Orr to the ice as the scrap ended, Big Georges looked strong as ever; somewhat of a surprise since he's adopted a vegan lifestyle and no longer eats muscle-building meat.
In other words, Laraque has become the NHL's version of Dr. Dolittle; an animal lover who doesn't do much besides fight.
Captain Koo Koo
Oh-Oh.
Burke's bigger and tougher approach seemed to spring a bit of a leak on night one, courtesy of Mike Komisarik who went a little crazy while facing his former Canadiens teammates.
Komisarik racked up 15 penalty minutes in his Leafs debut, and actually deserved a few more. With the over-aggressive blueliner cooling his heels the Habs scored a pair of power-play goals, including a third-period tally by Toronto native Glen Metropolit that sent the game to overtime.
Komisarik, by the way, is said to be one of the leading candidates to be named the new captain of the Leafs.
But can you really afford to slap the "C" on a guy who's on pace to spend 1,230 minutes in the sin bin?
Just Joshing
By now you all know how it all ended.
With Leafs fans shuddering at the thought of watching Vesa Toskala in a shootout, Josh Gorges put them out of their misery by firing home the winner with just 12.8 seconds left in overtime.
And with that, Gorges is the hero as another gorgeous season of NHL fun and frivolity is officially underway.