Maple Leafs 4, Penguins 2

Published by Toronto Mike on November 5, 2003 @ 08:07 in Toronto Maple Leafs

Go Leafs Go! A Mario Lemieux-less Pittsburgh Penguins team isn't a very intimidating team to face at the ACC, and that's precisely why I feared the worst. The Maple Leafs have a tendency to play down to their opponents ability. Thankfully, the end result was a relatively easy victory for the Leafs despite facing an 18 year old phenom goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury whose clearly living up to his billing.

It's fitting the Leafs played a Gordie Howe style game with five fights and four goals on a night when Mark Messier was passing Mr. Hockey to move into second all-time in NHL scoring. Mark Messier is the only player left in the NHL whom I remember from the first winter I followed this glorious sport closely. Messier broke in with the 1979-80 Edmonton Oilers and to this date has amassed an amazing 1850 points.