MLHS Writings

Another kind of Maple Leafs Hot Stove coverage. These are the jokes, folks, they don't get any better. Laugh now or miss your chance.

Alec Brownscombe, resident Padishah at Maple Leafs Hot Stove and editor of the Maple Leafs Annual, has been kind enough to me to hide a key to the front door of the Maple Leafs Hot Stove Bar and Grille;  when I want, I can kind of wander on by, look under the appropriate rock, pull out the key  and let myself in.

Alec doesn’t mind my occasional itinerant wanderings through his joint; he lets me fool around with the jukebox and he doesn’t mind if I mix myself the occasional cocktail.  All he asks is that I clean up the empties when I’m done.

From time to time, therefore, I write a little something about the Leafs over there.  It is almost immediately pronounced “too long” by someone, but there you go.

Here’s a list of the stuff I’ve put up on the MLHS site.

A Manifesto of Sorts: Road Trips and Owen’s Mistake, in which I tell you about the time I went on a road trip to Washington D.C., my buddy Owen almost missed meeting Gord Downie, and honest to God it has something to do with hockey too.

Good News: Luke Schenn Edition, in which I delve into spiritual matters, discussing (in no particular order), the beatific Luke Schenn and my expectations of both “hell” and “expense accounting”.

Churn, Churn, Churn: An Update on the Plan, in which I review Brian Burke’s progress towards remaking the Maple Leafs roster on the occasion of the trades for Dion Phaneuf and J.S. Giguere.

Good News: Tyler Bozak Edition, in which, giddy with excitement about the young centreman’s strong showing in his first real exposure to game action, I pretty much volunteered to bake Tyler Bozak a birthday cake to help him celebrate his 24th.

Good News: Big Picture Dept., in which it was revealed that I am a dirty lying bastard who continually promises to write about how awesome Nikolai Kulemin is, but then fails to deliver.

End of the Year Sentiments, in which I found myself advocating that you kick your co-workers in the junk.

It Begins, in which, after a court-ordered rest* of some five months’ duration, rather than kicking people, I told people about the funny little dance that I was doing in my kitchen while I cooked pasta. This one caused Darren Yourk of the Globe and Mail to wonder aloud about my safety. Again, I swear: this piece is about hockey.

Start Your Engines, in which I tackled possibly the most weighty and important subject ever considered in an Internet blog post thingy: my Toronto Maple Leafs lunchbox and its obvious and unmistakable connection to the commencement of the 2010-2011 NHL Regular Season.

What Can Brown Do For You? – a post game wrap up from the Leafs 4-3 undressing of the Penguins on October 13, 2010.  Undressing?  Yes, there were naked little Penguins all over the ice.

Strength of Character – a post game wrap about the Leafs’ 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers and the very maddening, should-be-suspended, man-I’m-gonna-enjoy-it-when-Orr-smashes-his-face-in Sean Avery.

Happy Trails for Leaf Fans? – My update on The Plan following the trade of Francois Beauchemin to Anaheim for prospects and picks.

Can’t Stop This Ephesian – a reflection, following the trades of Kris Versteeg and Tomas Kaberle, on where the Leafs stand in their progress towards rebuilding respectability.  Oh, and a little ancient Greek philosophy, too. http://mapleleafshotstove.com/2011/02/20/cant-stop-this-ephesian-tomas-kaberle-kris-versteeg-and-the-plan/