And the starter is… Scott Clemmensen. This mark’s his first start as a goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And as it turns out, he did a pretty good job.

This game was also a bright spot on the year for Jason Blake. Keeping Maurice’s recent tradition of juggling his lines, Blake was placed on the top line with Sundin and Steen. It seemed to work, as Jason Blake finished the day with a goal and two assists.

This game saw the good parts of the Maple Leafs game and the bad parts as well. The team continued their hot hands in the second period, netting 3 (and all) of their goals in the middle frame. Clemmensen was fairly solid in net, stopping 30 of 33 total shots and stoning Richards and St. Louis in the shootout.

The bad part was the final minute goal they allowed that forced the game to overtime, and the dreaded shootout.

In the end, they won, which is all that matters. It was a good way to start the New Year. Let’s hope this win lifts the team and keeps the ball rolling for some time.