Here is my latest video.  Sorry to The Score for pulling it off my YouTube account, but the video uploaded on the website is acting funny.  And not like Gerry Dee funny (because that's actually FUNNY), more like Carrottop funny.  The worst kind of funny.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0t47wA_9YY

An opportunity to say hello is apparently why Canucks GM Mike Gillis met up with Mats Sundin and his agent JP Barry last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The trio watched the game from a luxury suite, according to this TSN report, although there were apparently no real contract talks between the three.

Still, its clear the Canucks are still trying to land the services of Sundin, so a 4-0 crowning of the Kings was a great performance to do so. The twins finally both looked good in the same game again, Mason Raymond was flying around the ice as usual and Roberto Luongo shut the door for his 40th career shutout. Of all the road games Sundin could have watched, I'm glad it was this one.

The Sundin sweepstakes are still as intriguing as they were from day one when the Canucks threw a few truck loads of money at the one time Quebec Nordique, and even though landing the big S is still improbable, it would be a boost to Vancouver's lackadaisical offence. We've got the money to spend and there aren't any players of Mats' calibre available, so I'm on board with Gillis taking the time to say hello, or whatever it was he was doing, to Sundin.

Toronto still has to be considered the front runners though, new suitors may look appealing, but at the end of the day the familiarity of an ex can be quite tempting. Retiring as a Maple Leaf would interest me over money if I was Sundin and I'm sure most TO fans feel the same way.

Anyone in Leafs Nation is probably thinking the same thing right now, and they are likely smiling. Confused, yes, but smiling also. This is likely so, simply because the young Leafs have been giving Leafs fans reasons to smile.

This shouldn't be happening.  You know, the whole winning thing. It's just not right. A team with "one top-six forward," that 18-year-old kid on defence and virtually nothing else besides Vesa Toskala and Tomas Kaberle, should not be playing this well.

The Leafs aren't exactly looking like the Oilers of the 80s, but by no means are they looking like the Leafs of 2005-2008 either, and that in itself should be reason to smile for Leafs fans.

Granted, we are still very early in the N.H.L season and the Leafs will almost certainly slow down, significantly might I add, but we are also passed the point of opening-week flukes and this is what I see: a quick, young team that has beaten the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings on the road, beaten the mighty Devils on the road and overall, has taken points in six of their last eight contests.

What is so intriguing is how the Leafs are getting it done right now. At first, they were the dragon-slayers, spoiling the Wings' banner-raising night. Then they got shellacked by the Habs and proceeded to lose five straight while looking offensively anaemic.

Even when they began this little roll they are presently embarking on, they looked like a team who would have to win games with three goals or less. Then there they were last night, putting five goals past Martin Brodeur before eventually defeating the future hall-of-famer and soon to be record-holder in a shootout.

Niklas Hagman's shootout-winner was unorthodox to say the least, leaving Brodeur in a blanket of snow and grinning uncontrollably.

While we continue to sit here and wait for the long fall down the standings or the major step backwards, these kids continue to win, or give it one hell of a shot at the very least. Maybe, just maybe, we are in store for something special from these kids.

The chances are virtually slim-to-none, and I can almost guarantee they won't succeed...yet. But as Niklas Hagman showed us last night, they may not do it in the expected fashion, but as long as they keep getting it done, as Martin Brodeur found out, you won't be able to help but smile.

The Ottawa Senators announced today that Daniel Alfredsson has signed a 4 year extension that should make him a Senator for life.  The new contract includes a bonus to get rid of the two remaining option years and is top heavy to reduce the cap burden in future years.

Year 1:  $4 million in salary with a $3 million signing bonus, plus $2.1 million for the removal of the option years from his old contract for a total $9.1 million.

Year 2:  $4 million with a $3 million signing bonus for $7 million.

Year 3:  $2 million with a $2.5 million signing bonus for $4.5 million.

Year 4:  $1 million.

I'm not a cap expert, but I'm guessing that designating part of his salary as a signing bonus each year reduces the cap burden somehow?

All in all it's a great day for Ottawa fans to know that our captain will be in a Senators uniform for 4 more years.  Some people might balk at his age, but I feel Daniel Alfredsson is one of those athletes that will still be very competitive to the very end of this contract.  Look for Alfie to have a big game in Florida tonight.  Remember when Heatley signed his contract and then beat the Leafs by himself that night?

GO SENS GO!

In case you somehow missed the drama that unfolded after Ottawa's 5-2 victory over the Sabres on Monday, here's the clip:

Now the NHL fined him the maximum $2,500 for the incident which only works out to be a measely 3.29% of his salary.   All I have to say is that Richardson said it best, "Leave it on the ice".

He deserved a game for that... what is this the WWE?  The only joke here is Adam Mair.  And for him to say that Neil doesn't fight his own battles... he just finished fighting Peters (Buffalo's supposed heavyweight) and he dropped the gloves with Perros last week.

Neil's response was a beauty.

"I didn't know he came after me until after (the game), when a couple of the guys told me he had come down there," said Neil. "I had used him as a punching bag before and that was the only thing I said to him. He didn't like that too much. We ended up both getting (misconducts). It would have been nice (to be there)."

What's next... chairs across the back?

I can't wait for the rematch in Buffalo on January 6th!

GO SENS GO!