It certainly didn’t match the drama of the torch passing ceremony at the Bell Center Saturday night, but last night’s Leaf opener did provide a couple of yuks as they kicked off the season at home by losing 2-1 to the Sabres.  After the 48th Highlanders annoyed everybody with their ear piercing wind bag music we were transported to the heavens and the International Space Station.  Before he blasted off into space, astronaut Chris Hadfield smuggled a puck in his duffle bag.  After a few parlor tricks he dropped the puck in space.  Well, he didn’t actually drop it, he had to throw it—y’know, weightless environment—and the next thing you know it was caught back on earth by the cat, Felix Potvin who was wearing his goalie mask just in case he couldn’t make the save. 

     Now, this is where things get really loopy.   Potvin is on top of the ACC.  He throws the puck down an opening to Darcy Tucker.  Tucker runs across the catwalk to the elevator where he has this awkward chat with the elevator guy and heads down to the basement.  When the doors open, Tucker flings the puck at a clearly exasperated Darryl Sittler, who holds the puck like a running back holding a football and starts sprinting through the bowels of the ACC.  Through the machine room and the kitchen—where he uses his puck germy hands to steal a snack—eww--past the dressing room and onto the Toronto bench where he is greeted by the most popular living Maple Leaf, 107 year old Johnny Bower.  Then the four of them go out to drop the puck, even though technically it’s only a one man job.

     A cute opening, but it turns out that weightlessness does affect things because that puck was sure acting funny for the Leafs last night.  Damn you Chris Hadfield and your floating puck.