Tonight's early lineup notes

Paul Hunter has called in a couple of lineup notes for tonight's Leafs-Montreal preseason tilt at the ACC:

First off, scratch Jason Allison. Again. Allison skated with the team this morning, but that strained hip flexor injury has Leafs in cautious mode and he will not suit up. The plan, they are saying, is for Allison to make his preseason game debut Saturday in Montreal. We'll be waiting with bated breath.

This means another bit of game action for Alexander Steen. Steen skated on a line with Matt Stajan and Marius Czerkawski for the most part last time out against Boston. Be interesting to see who he's out there with tonight.

In goal, J.S. Aubin has a pulled groin muscle, which means that J.F. Racine will work the second half of the game. Mikael Tellqvist starts. Racine, of course, shared the shutout with Eddie Belfour the other night.

Comments

[Conin79]

Well if I'm Pat Quinn, then my life has just become a lot tougher. . . Kyle Wellwood was enormous against Montreal.

I love Stumpy but Quinn knows that he will break down over the season and can not do 82 games anymore when the game is a lot faster. We need to get ready for a post Sundin era and we need some thunder on the horizon to make the transition easier.

Oh yeah. . . . prediction. . . Allison is done until Christmas. I hope I'm wrong but it Toronto Maple Leaf luck holds, he will rush back and a piece of moon rock will fall on his hip and put him out.

I'm also glad we, from the looks of it, have another enforcer on the team who hits and does not do much else. . . too bad his name is Lindros.

And finally, I'm a high school teacher and if by the end of the season, of Fergie's three biggest pick ups (Allison, Lindros, and O'Neill) only O'Neill comes through, I'm pretty sure, Fergie might be looking over his shoulder.

And I just want to pass along my best wishes to Fergie's father, I hope everything turns out for the best.

[Joe Maple]

This guy stole 1.5 million from the leafs. He won't play more than 10 games this season.