I had horseshoes up my ass for this one. Ford invited me to sit in their super amazing 3rd row seats just beside the Leafs penalty box just as I was hating my favourite team, and then a miracle happened. This game became a big deal.
I kept a very close eye on the three newbies, and all three played a great game. Here's a shot I took of Dion Phaneuf.
J.S. Giguère got a shutout, Dion Phaneuf had us chanting his name with big hits and a fight, and even Fredrik Sjostrom looked great, getting a point. You'd have thought this one was scripted.
Early in the first, Dion Phaneuf sat beside me for five minutes. That was pretty surreal.
Lest we forget our new goaltender, who was just solid. The only other Leaf goalie to get a shutout in his first game was Eddie Belfour. Here's Giggy, still wearing his Ducks mask.
There was an extraordinary energy in the ACC last night, and we were loud throughout. I thought we might all head to Yonge street after the final buzzer.
A big thanks to Ford Canada for inviting me. They gave me the best seat I've ever had for a Leafs game, access to their luxury suite where I could eat and drink whatever I wanted, and... and this was the most surprising part to me... there was absolutely no sales pitch at any time. No speech about their new line of automobiles, no slideshow about their new promotion, nothing. They just wanted me to have a good time, and I had a great time. Thanks, Ford!
