Owain's World: The Greatest Show on Ice!

This past weekend was quite simply brilliant, and the summit of that brilliance was on Saturday afternoon, when after many years of dreaming from across the Atlantic, and then many months of hoping here in Canada, I finally got to see my first Toronto Maple Leafs game.

Tickets for the Leafs are harder to come by than one of Willie Wonker's famous golden tickets, so when Amanda's sister Kim managed to get us two spare tickets from a friend of her's in work, I was utterly overjoyed. The fact that these tickets were for the only game this season against the Detroit Red Wings (as previously mentioned in the Ottawa game, the Wings are currently the best team in the NHL), and the first time they've played in Toronto since 2003, due to the mess of the NHL fixture list, was extra special.

These two teams have been long time and bitter rivals for over 300 games and about 80 years, and with the cities just 5 hours or so apart, it always provides a great atmosphere and mix of fans from "Hockeytown" Canada and USA!

Toronto have been having a rather rough season, but despite a couple of good wins against Ottawa and Montreal this week, were also hammered 8-0 by lowly Florida. So what to expect against Detroit? Which side of Leafs Nation would we see in this game? I was desperately trying to remain hopeful and optomistic in my Maple Leaf heart, but my realistic hockey head was saying nothing but a defeat was likely.

The game started well with the Leafs holding their own , and actually getting some very good shots away at the Red Wings net, and as in the game up in Ottawa, Detroit didn't seem to settle well........ and then........... midway through the first period......... from a bit of a freak deflection.... the Leafs score! I think it took most of the Air Canada Centre by surprise as it seemed the cheers were muted from our lofty perch, but we were actually in the lead! we held on until the end of the first period, and then Amanda and I were able to catch our breath, and let some small glimmer of hope shine that we might possibly win the game.

In the second period it was again fairly even, with chances being traded pretty equally at each end. Toronto were playing a very controlled tactically aware game matching up against the clinical play of the red Wings, a change form the usual high pace and tempo and harder hitting fore-checking usually seen in most NHL games. On one rare occassion where the Leafs did send someone in Detroits end to challenge, the Red Wings broke away and scored the equaliser on a tip-in close to the net.

Hope for the Blue & White waned, and then as so often happens, Detroit seemed to take a bit more control of the game, and with about 7 minutes left in the third period, took the lead themselves, sending the Red Wings fans around the ACC into joy, and the Leafs into despair.
BUT WAIT... there were two who would not be denied. Goalie Vesa Toskala had been outstanding all game for Toronto, and the Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin stood-up and pulled the team with them. In the last seven minutes Sundin barely left the ice for breath, and deservedly scored Toronto's equaliser. this time it was the Leafs fans chance to crow, and that they did well. Urging on the team giving them the support to hold on until overtime, and a guaranteed point at least.

THEN... a minute into the four-on-four first-goal wins action, Toronto surged into the Detroit zone, goalie Dominic Hasek lost an edge, went sprawling and then lost his hold on his stick in the process, Anton Strahlman shot from the high-slot, and Nik Antropov tipped puck infront, and..... well... the rest is a bit of a blur to me! There was lots of cheering, shouting, jumping, hugging, bouncing, flag waving, and I've never been more glad to hear "Zombie Nation" come over the speakers. Quite an adrenaline rush, and the closest I've come in a long while to the feeling of Cardiff scoring a last minute winner. HIGHLIGHTS HERE!