First off, respect and congratulations to Mr. Mirtle and PPP for the inaugural Mirtle Mailbag No. 1. I think it's a really awesome feature and I'm looking forward to many more.

The first question was from kidkawartha, something about Bobby Orr being in town and visions of huge, multi-player deals, and what would James do/like to see? To my dismay this was the response:

I think they should move Kaberle, but it doesn't have to necessarily be by the deadline. Maybe he fetches more in the off-season when there are more teams in the mix?

The Leafs appear to pretty much have their top five on the blueline figured out at this point (Phaneuf, Beauchemin, Schenn, Komisarek, Gunnarsson) and with Kaberle's minutes down into the 17, 18 minute range lately, I don't see him as an integral piece going forward. Yes, he's produced points, but I can't help but look at his QCMP and GA/60 at even strength and think it's time to move his salary for some help up front.

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Editor's Note: Yeah! What the hell is the deal with Bob Cole? Bring him back! JIm Hughson stinks.

I'm very sad that Bob Cole (to my knowledge) hasn't called a single game for the Leafs this season on CBC. I really miss his beautiful voice describing the action as only he can, with the emphasis and intensity measured at the right levels, in all the right places. The last few seasons he may have seemed dull and dim, but I think that's probably a result, and a reflection, of the hockey he's had to witness. Bob Cole always had an accute awareness of the stakes involved, a natural instinct for the game, for relevance, for history. He recognized drama on the ice as it unfolded and translated it effortlessly. His voice would rise in perfect synchronization with the noise of the crowd. He understood the importance of every goal, of every save, of every win or loss, and he never over-sold his passion or faked or forced enthusiasm. If he said "OH, Baby!", he meant it, and you better not have missed it, 'cause it must have been something special.

If I could have one hockey related Christmas Wish this holiday season, it would only be for Bob Cole to call the Leafs' next Saturday game on CBC, the Boxing-Day telecast against the Montreal Canadians. Please CBC, please make this happen. Please grant this one Christmas wish and give that annoyingly plastic Hughson a holiday vacation, and give Maple Leafs fans a real treat for that Boxing-Day matchup. BOB COLE'S VOICE. Seriously. Please bring back Bob Cole to Maple Leafs broadcasts.

P.S. You know I hate your guts Scott Moore, but this is your chance to redeem yourself.

Editor's Note: General Borschevsky has graciously re-posted his epic season in review.

By special request from kidkawarhta and with PPP's special permission, I present my choices for the Leafs' top 10 games of the 2008-9 season.

#10. January 15/09 vs. Colorado Avalanche, Leafs win 7-4.

The Leafs were a pretty depressing hockey team in mid-January, but on this night in Denver Leaf fans enjoyed some much needed comedy relief. In goal for the Avalanche was that miserable Raycrap, the most despised Leafs' starting netminder ever. The game wasn't especially exciting, but the goaltending was vintage Raycroft. 7 mostly soft goals on 30 shots, the Leafs broke open a 1-1 first period tie with 3 in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd. Blake and Moore led the way with 3 points each, as 7 Leaf players had multiple-point nights. But the real story was the craptacular goaltending in the Avalanche net. The 6th and 7th goals, which killed any hope of a Colorado comeback, were quite hysterical. Just absolutely classic garbage soft goals, so familiar from when Raycrap was between the pipes in Toronto. Also familiar to Leaf fans was his signature style of body language after the 6th and 7th goals: an expression of utter defeat and increasing resignation so steep he might as well have jumped off a cliff. What a chump. Leaf fans can't be thankful enough to be liberated from that awful, humiliating goalie.

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Whereas ice hockey is Canada's national sport;

Whereas the sport of ice hockey is enjoyed throughout our nation by Canadians of all ages, genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds;

Whereas the Toronto Maple Leafs are by far the nation's most popular hockey team;

Whereas Pension Plan Puppets is the mothership for the Barilkosphere;

Whereas Pension Plan Puppets, as fostered by community associations, Maple Leafs bloggers, and by Leaf fans and critics alike, contributes to a stronger Canada by promoting the participation of individuals in their communities and the solidarity of those communities;

Whereas encouraging the involvement of youth and women in particular in an on-line community is an appropriate objective of the Parliament of Canada, and an Act to establish a national day to celebrate that on-line communtiy would contribute to increasing that involvement;

And whereas Pension Plan Puppets has served as a unifying force throughout Leafs Nation, is an important component of our contemporary identity in Leafs Nation, and is considered a cornerstone of our unique Canadian culture;

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National Pension Plan Puppets Day Act.

NATIONAL PENSION PLAN PUPPETS DAY

2. Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the third Friday of February shall be known as "National Pension Plan Puppets Day".

3. For greater certainty, National Pension Plan Puppets Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.

Why does Vesa have to do this to us now? 3 wins in a row with only 2 games left until the trade deadline. Is there any possibility that these points will lead to a team taking Toskala off our hands, or is the damage already done, and now he's just undermining our future success? The answer, Leaf fans, is less then a week away.

Can Toskala make it 4 in a row tonight? My gut says no, but since I'm usually wrong about Vesa I expect him to win. But now that I'm expecting a win, I'm sure he'll do the opposite. I'm gonna stick with that and call it a loss, hoping the Vesa continues to surprise and defy expectations. "I don't think there's anything that Vesa can possibly do between now and the trade deadline that's going to undo the damage he's done to his reputation as a starting goaltender."

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This is going to feel like a long weekend, but not in a good way. I'm very happy with the way the Leafs played last night in Buffalo, and while I don't normally want them to play on back-to-back nights with travel, there's an aching desire to see them play tonight that won't be fulfilled. Except that it's not an aching desire, it's the natural order of things and the unpleasantness that I'm feeling is that order being disrupted. A Saturday night in December without the Maple Leafs is like Christmas without Santa. Like Halloween without candy. Like Wheel of Fortune without Vanna. It's like, what's the point? I waited all week for this. I had plans! I was going to watch hockey. And not just any hockey - not 2 boring conference rivals with marquee players battling for playoff positions - heck no, I was going to watch the Leafs! That's what I do every Saturday night in the winter. Those are my plans and I can't change them now.

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Editor's Note: The General takes a look at the Leafs' forgotten superstar in a great fanpost.

Congratulations to the Toronto Maple Leafs for their 6-5 shoot-out victory last night over the Devils. Congratulations to Toskala for the win and for killing the Cujo-switch experiment. Congratulations to Niklas Hagman for the beautiful, memorable winner, and getting a laugh from Marty too. And congratulations to Wilson and the entire team for showing that hustle and perserverance really do pay off.

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An open letter from Mats Sundin to the city of Toronto, and to the fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, for whom he cares so deeply:

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I like the idea of being able to see a Leaf game and not have to think about the expense. I don't have any money so even going to a bar for a beer or two involves complicated logistics and serious financial planning. Finding the cash to actually see a Leaf game live would involve more hard work then I've ever been accustomed to doing, and ever since I started living on my own, Santa stopped coming by for Christmas for some reason.

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