2007/2008 Maple Leafs Preview

I love the Leafs and Leafs fans, purely for entertainment value. My favorite is the stereotypical Leaf fan, "Joe from Woodbridge", who's always on the radio call in shows making outlandish claims like Alex Ponikarovsky has 50 goal potential.

I'm constantly having an argument with a good buddy of mine, who claims that historically the Leafs are a better team than the Edmonton Oilers. I argue that since their inception, the Oilers have five cups to the Leafs zero, making the Oilers a historically better team. When that doesn't shut him up, I raise the point that the Leafs once brought Calle Johansson out of retirement for a playoff run ... Calle Johansson!

Anyways... onto the preview... because Karate Kid is the greatest movie of all time, each player will be compared to a character from the movie franchise:

Nik Antropov - Injured Daniel LaRusso (All Valley Karate Championship Version)


Much like our favourite beleagured martial artist, Nik Antropov has had knee issues, with three reconstructive surgeries in his career. Also, like Daniel LaRusso in his fight scenes, it appears as though Nik has absolutely no idea what he's doing when he's out there...

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Darcy Tucker - Tommy from the Kobra Kai ("Get him a body bag... YEAAAAHHH!!!)

Tommy was a hothead with marginal skill who frequently lost his cool: Darcy Tucker's just a hothead.

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Mark Bell - Mr. Miyagi (Drunk Version)

"Banzai!!!"

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Alex Steen - Dutch (Played by Chad McQueen ... Steve McQueen's son)


Neither will ever step out of their father's shadow...


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Mats Sundin - Johnny Lawrence

Every time I watch The Karate Kid I know that Johnny Lawrence is leading a gang that will eventually come up short in the end... I feel the same way when Mats Sundin takes the ice every October.


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Bryan McCabe - Chozen


For those of you unfamiliar with the plot details of Karate Kid II, Chozen is the villain who bilks peasants out of money by posing as a legitimate merchant: Bryan McCabe has bilked MLSE out of millions of dollars by posing as a legitimate defender.


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Pavel Kubina - Ali Mills (played by the breathtaking Elisabeth Shue)

None of the beauty, none of the grace, all of the toughness: he may have even sprained his wrist punching somebody.

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And Finally...


Paul Maurice - John Kreese (Sensei of the Kobra Kai dojo) ... Played by Martin Kove

Both experienced highlights of their careers in these respective roles ... both will be unemployed 10 months later.