It's finally happening. Tosky hurt his groin and Justin Pogge has been called up to the NHL form the Marlies. We'll likely see Pogge make his NHL debut tonight.
The entry I want to write was already written last January. But it was written by me, and cleverly entitled "Nothing Left to Burn", so I'm going to re-post it here.
"When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire".
~ Stars, Your Ex-Lover is Dead
Rumour has it Vesa Toskala may have re-injured himself last night. He came in to relieve Raycroft. Why they risked Toskala is beyond me. I would have let Andrew Raycroft finish what he started.
If Tosky can't dress, and Raycroft can't stop a puck, it might be time for Justin Pogge's debut. Here's a little Pogge primer.
January 6, 2006 - "I have seen the future of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey, and his name is Justin Pogge. Pogge posted a .952 save percentage for the tournament, his 1.00 goals-against average ties him for best in tournament history and Canada's six goals against set a record. He recorded three shutouts and went 150 minutes and 50 seconds without giving up a goal to close out last night's game."
It was that tournament that introduced the country to Jusin Pogge. He was outstanding and a Maple Leafs prospect. Those two statements rarely collide.
October 21, 2006 - "For the third time in four nights, I was in the building to watch a professional Toronto sports franchise lose. It was my first Marlies game and a great deal of fun. The kids were probably more entertained by the dog mascot than the hockey, but they had a blast and I got to watch #1 Justin Pogge."
This was the first time I watched Pogge play in person. He didn't win, but he was sharp.
September 19, 2007 - "It was Justin Pogge's first NHL game, and I really wanted him to play well. I so badly want this prospect to pan out and develop into a great goalie I actually got butterflies every time he handled an Oiler shot. I just didn't want him to look out of place."
That was Pogge's only game in a Leafs uniform to date. Rumour has it they're thinking of calling him up for tomorrow night's game in San Jose. My spidey senses tell me that's a horrible idea.
That's right, I wanted Pogge to finish the season with the Marlies so he could make his debut in the 2008/2009 season. That's now. This is the perfect time to see what this kid is made of.
It's Pogge time.
