I threw a small hockey party today at my house. A couple of my friends came over and we cheered and jeered the Toronto Maple Leafs in their season opener against the Ottawa Senators.

The game was very dramatic and it almost seemed like it was showcasing the new NHL rules: near to no icing, exciting double-line passes, speed through the neutral zone, sudden death overtime and ultimately, the final shootout that the Senators won.

The opener also revealed some serious flaws in the Leafs. Belfour reacted painfully slow during the shootout, now an integral part of the game under the new rules. He's still a great goalie because he can read plays and has a lot of experience but you cannot deny the fact he is 40 years old and has nowhere the reaction time of younger goalies. I say put in Tellqvist, the rookie backup goalie, for the shootout in the future.

Another concern is Antropov. He's big and tall and carries a big stick but he sucks balls! How long are the Maple Leafs going to keep saying this year is the breakout year?? We've been hearing that for 3 seasons and all he has shown us during that time is his inability to finish plays and his uncanny ability to get injured. Maybe the coaching staff should teach him how to skate first because I swear I see his legs move while he hardly moves.