Toronto Maple Leafs

[Frazerbob]

I'm off to Toronto in a couple of weeks and have managed to secure tickets for the Leafs game against Washington. Anyone been before? What can I expect?

Really looking forward to it, especially excited about seeing the lad Ovechkin!

[duncs]

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I'm off to Toronto in a couple of weeks and have managed to secure tickets for the Leafs game against Washington. Anyone been before? What can I expect?

Really looking forward to it, especially excited about seeing the lad Ovechkin!

Lucky you! Been to Toronto three times but it's always been during off-season. Atmosphere is meant to be electric.

You been to much ice-hockey before? If not, watch some games on Ch5 or NASN or even get down to Murrayfield to watch the Caps just so you have some idea of what's going on. I loved ice hockey when I was younger and we managed to go to a game in Orlando (Solar Bears in the IHL) and my dad and I enjoyed the game more than my brothers and mum because we knew the rules and had some idea about what was going on!

[Frazerbob]

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Lucky you! Been to Toronto three times but it's always been during off-season. Atmosphere is meant to be electric.

You been to much ice-hockey before? If not, watch some games on Ch5 or NASN or even get down to Murrayfield to watch the Caps just so you have some idea of what's going on. I loved ice hockey when I was younger and we managed to go to a game in Orlando (Solar Bears in the IHL) and my dad and I enjoyed the game more than my brothers and mum because we knew the rules and had some idea about what was going on!

Used to go to Murrayfield Racers every week in the 80's and early 90's (God i sound old!!) when they swept the board so I know the rules etc. Kinda lost touch with Hockey since the Racers went tits up. Been having a wee look around the various NHL sites to get up to speed. Seems the Leafs aren't doing too well at the moment. More of a Canucks fan due to family in Vancouver and having been a few times but really looking forward to seeing a giant of the game. Seems Washington have a guy called Ovechkin who seems to be the new Wayne Gretzky!

[PercyHibs]

i lived in toronto in 2005. ice hockey is brilliant!!! you done well just to get tickets. also, go to a place called maddison house! great pub with 4 or 5 floors. have a good time

[PC Stamp]

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Used to go to Murrayfield Racers every week in the 80's and early 90's (God i sound old!!) when they swept the board so I know the rules etc. Kinda lost touch with Hockey since the Racers went tits up. Been having a wee look around the various NHL sites to get up to speed. Seems the Leafs aren't doing too well at the moment. More of a Canucks fan due to family in Vancouver and having been a few times but really looking forward to seeing a giant of the game. Seems Washington have a guy called Ovechkin who seems to be the new Wayne Gretzky!

Ovechkin is an excellent player but to mention him in the same breath as Wayne Gretzky is ice hockey blasphemy! And that's from an non Edmonton Oilers loving Flames fan!

[ancienthibby]

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Ovechkin is an excellent player but to mention him in the same breath as Wayne Gretzky is ice hockey blasphemy! And that's from an non Edmonton Oilers loving Flames fan!

Punch Imlach
Johnny Bower
Tim Horton
Allan Stanley
Davie Keon
Ron Ellis
Frank Armstrong;

and even Eddie Shack!!

NOT mentioning their names as part of the great Maple Leafs of the 60's and 70's is SACRILEGE!!

[Hibbie_Cameron]

The leafs are crap

PC- Have you seen much of the flames recently?

Watch the hockey every night NASN/Setanta plus on the NHL website, Flames have really picked up recently. The recent 9-6 win over the ducks was unreal, even my mum was getting into Ice Hockey

[Just Jimmy]

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The leafs are crap

PC- Have you seen much of the flames recently?

Watch the hockey every night NASN/Setanta plus on the NHL website, Flames have really picked up recently. The recent 9-6 win over the ducks was unreal, even my mum was getting into Ice Hockey

and who do you have to thank for feeding your passion in the early days?

thank you please!

[Hibbie_Cameron]

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and who do you have to thank for feeding your passion in the early days?

thank you please!

I watched it before i met you but never liked the flames

[stu in nottingham]

Only went to an NHL hockey game in Toronto the once, that was a pilgrimage to Maple Leaf Gardens in the last season before it closed.

Everyone knows the heritage of the Leafs and of what I once heard called 'the most important building in Canada' and I really wanted to get there before the story was over.

Toronto were playing expansionists Nashville but as always there was a good crowd assembled on Carlton Street before the game as we left our restaurant. What did strike me was how passive the Leafs fans were. I'll state straight away that I'm a Montreal supporter before further ado but the two other Habs supporters and one Edmonton supporter I visited with couldn't get over the difference in atmosphere between MLG and the (then) Molson Centre in Montreal where we had been two days previous. The Leafs fans were so reticent we even got together a cheer for them!

Another noticeable thing was how many people hung around on the concourse, chatting and drinking etc. after the period had begin - like they could hardly be bothered with the hockey. I've never seen this in such numbers in any Canadian rink. The seemed pretty blase about the actual game but rather it was just part of their Saturday night social scene. This was in stark contrast to Montreal where the noise generated was far higher on that occasion and the support more urgent.

Just my observations from that era.

[PC Stamp]

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The leafs are crap

PC- Have you seen much of the flames recently?

Watch the hockey every night NASN/Setanta plus on the NHL website, Flames have really picked up recently. The recent 9-6 win over the ducks was unreal, even my mum was getting into Ice Hockey

Yeah I catch the highlights regularly and am updated by my family in Calgary.

It was the Tampa Bay Lightning we beat 9-6 and boy were we due them one!

Back at the top of the NW division now that we've started our season after giving everyone else a healthy start on us.

Last 16 games have seen only 1 defeat in regulation, 12 wins, 2 OT wins and one SO loss. 6 away wins on the bounce included!

Coming good at the right time though I hope.

[Hibbie_Cameron]

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Yeah I catch the highlights regularly and am updated by my family in Calgary.

It was the Tampa Bay Lightning we beat 9-6 and boy were we due them one!

Back at the top of the NW division now that we've started our season after giving everyone else a healthy start on us.

Last 16 games have seen only 1 defeat in regulation, 12 wins, 2 OT wins and one SO loss. 6 away wins on the bounce included!

Coming good at the right time though I hope.

It was Tampa Bay, during a typically pish hibs performance i was giving Wee_Mad-Mental a game summary. I remember we watched the Stanley Cup decider between the two at his that year, a great night spoilt by the out come.

The recent surge seems to be down to Kipp finding form again after a dodgy spell

[PC Stamp]

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It was Tampa Bay, during a typically pish hibs performance i was giving Wee_Mad-Mental a game summary. I remember we watched the Stanley Cup decider between the two at his that year, a great night spoilt by the out come.

The recent surge seems to be down to Kipp finding form again after a dodgy spell

Aye and if Martin Gelinas goal in game 6 had been correctly awarded that bloody game would never have happened and we'd have been a 2 time Stanley Cup winner. However the Lightning are one of the newer big finance franchises and the Flames ain't. A bit like Carolina and Edmonton with the same outcome.

I think under Mike Keenan they were all struggling to adapt to his style of play and there was much tinkering withn lines. The main line though of Iginla, Huselius & Langkow is now delivering what it is capable of in every gamne right now. Whilst Kipper was having some dodgy moments, he wasn't being helped by ropey defending and the fact we couldn't score goals. For now, we are scoring plenty. Another 6 last night at LA.

[NYHibby]

Get some doughnuts from Tim Horton

[Pheona]

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Get some doughnuts from Tim Horton

coffee good to.

[PC Stamp]

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coffee good to.

And their soups. Particularly the potato & bacon.

[Hibbie_Cameron]

Good shoot out win last night for the flames against the wild. The officials were terrible at the end of the 2nd period when their attacker pushed into Kipper, allowing the puck to enter the net. Then 10 seconds later a Flames goal is wrongly disallowed. Puts an end to a 4 match losing streak

[MaroonPlatoon]

cracking thread

The leafs are garbage at the moment and the natives are pretty fed up but getting tickets for ACC still aint the easiest, I have family in Toronto and Van (much prefer Van, stunning place) and have been to both rinks though I prefered GM place. As a Hab (to the disgust of the torontonians) my ambition is to head to the Bell Centre to see les habitants but like someone else mentioned I generally visit Canada in the summer months so opportunity is scarce, though with the Missus on maternity leave still we may squeeze in a visit in the season this year. I like to see all the canadian teams doing well ( except for the leafs, I absolutely detest them) and would love to see a canadian team bring lord stanley home. Other than chicago, detroit, NY, Boston and Minnesota theres no other die hard hockey territory in the US.

[Part/Time Supporter]

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cracking thread

The leafs are garbage at the moment and the natives are pretty fed up but getting tickets for ACC still aint the easiest, I have family in Toronto and Van (much prefer Van, stunning place) and have been to both rinks though I prefered GM place. As a Hab (to the disgust of the torontonians) my ambition is to head to the Bell Centre to see les habitants but like someone else mentioned I generally visit Canada in the summer months so opportunity is scarce, though with the Missus on maternity leave still we may squeeze in a visit in the season this year. I like to see all the canadian teams doing well ( except for the leafs, I absolutely detest them) and would love to see a canadian team bring lord stanley home. Other than chicago, detroit, NY, Boston and Minnesota theres no other die hard hockey territory in the US.

Buffalo (upstate New York) is a good hockey town, they held the outdoor game there this season and they normally get good TV ratings for the playoffs there. Although Buffalo is within spitting distance of Canada anyway. There really shouldn't be any NHL teams south of the Mason-Dixon line except Dallas and maybe one of the LA-area teams.

And the Leafs really do suck.

[MaroonPlatoon]

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Buffalo (upstate New York) is a good hockey town, they held the outdoor game there this season and they normally get good TV ratings for the playoffs there. Although Buffalo is within spitting distance of Canada anyway. There really shouldn't be any NHL teams south of the Mason-Dixon line except Dallas and maybe one of the LA-area teams.

And the Leafs really do suck.

The sabres have struggled for crowds for a fair bit now and im sure they only have around 12000 season ticket holders, many of whom travel over the border from southern ontario to watch them, certainly nowhere near the support of the buffalo bills. Agree with the southern USA though Hockey in carolina, Florida etc is a joke, they are not interested unless the team is successful and when its not it tales off.

[KdyHby]

The Caps are playing Bison tonight at Murrayfield at 6pm, a 4 pointer and Caps last opportunity to try and overhaul Bison for a play-off place.

[Jamesie]

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The Leafs fans were so reticent we even got together a cheer for them!

That sounds about right Stu. Got a text from Fraz telling me that while he enjoyed the game there is more atmosphere at a Hibs reserve match!

[PC Stamp]

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The Caps are playing Bison tonight at Murrayfield at 6pm, a 4 pointer and Caps last opportunity to try and overhaul Bison for a play-off place.

And promptly went back to their old failings. Two short handed goals lost in consecutive nights and a 4-2 lead squandered wityh the tying goal lost on a powerplay.

OK, we won in OT but the point that Bison escaped with was vital. Game over for the play offs ... we're not good enough.

[Hibbie_Cameron]

What a shoot out victory by the Flames last night. 3-0 down at home with a period remianing, Iginla scores with 8 seconds left to level up the scores before hitting the winning shot in the shoot out.

Just noticed the leafs got turned over 8-0. They really are the pits