LEAFS KICK SENATOR BUTT!!: For the first time since 1949, The Leafs have swept a playoff series and for the second year in a row, humiliated the Ottawa Senators. Bring on New Jersey!

I have loved The Leafs since I was 10 years old. My parents were huge hockey fans and I can't remember a Saturday night in the fall or winter when my whole family wasn't glued to the screen watching Hockey Night In Canada. My dad had Green seasons tickets and I remember going to many games with him and with my mom. My favourite player back then was Mike Palmateer. My current favourite is Curtis Joseph. I don't know what it is about goalies but I always felt an affinity for them. Plus, Palmy was pretty cute and so is Cujo.

Mike Palmateer makes the save (as usual) as another 70s era great Leaf, Borje Salming, looks on.

My favourite Leafs moment was when Lanny McDonald scored the winning goal in overtime against the New York Islanders to advance the Leafs into the semi-finals in 1978. My whole family was jumping up and down screaming and cheering and hugging each other. It was a great night! Another great moment was last year when I gave my father two tickets to the third last game at Maple Leaf Gardens for Christmas.. He cried!!! Like I said, my family and I are hockey fanatics. My father had been to a Stanley Cup winning game in the 1960s and he said he would never forget the moment when George Armstrong was carrying The Cup around the ice on his shoulder. My father and I went to the game in January last year and the Leafs won and we had a great time. And the memories from that game are incredible. Every time the Leafs scored we stood up and cheered and my father (who had moved out of town and hadn't been to game in years) kept saying: "I can't believe I'm here!"

From one great captain to another: Darryl Sittler, left, with Mats Sundin.

When I was a kid, I used to dream of the day Harold Ballard would die. I would have a big party and invite all my friends...

Those of you who lived through the days when he fired Roger Neilson to bring back old-timer Punch Imlach will share my sentiments. Remember when he traded away Lanny McDonald and Sittler ripped the C for captain from his sweater...I wonder how Darryl felt when he heard the old buzzard was dead. I'll bet he wasn't sad.

It was to my immense pleasure years later whilst strolling through a graveyard at Royal York and Bloor that I literally stumbled over old Ballard's grave. I proceeded to tell him all about how well the Leafs were finally doing, thanks to his demise.

Harold Ballard's current residence

CUJO PROVES ONCE AGAIN...

Why he is considered the best goaltender in the NHL. Two shut outs in a row against The Senators - Curtis Joseph is unbeatable!!

GO LEAFS GO!

For more on the 70s era Leafs, including pictures, click here.

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