Maple Leafs 9, Islanders 6

Congrats and maybe several bottles of Pabst Blue Ribbon go out to Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro, who marked his selection the U.S. Olympic team last night by allowing 6 goals to the Maple Leafs before being pulled in the 2nd period.

Toronto’s Ed Belfour (above, left) moved ahead of Terry Sawchuck on the All-Time Win slist, no. 448 coming on a night in which 6 got past him. It only took Belfour 6 tries to break the deadlock between himself and Sawchuck, and he’ll have a ways to go before passing Patrick Roy.

On a day in which yours truly was trounced —presumably by a 13 year old (though I won’t discount the chance it could’ve been a mildly retarded adult) — in an online NHL 2K6 contest by the score of 14-4, it was chilling to learn that some of this nation’s teens have more lucrative ways of spending their internet time than hustling adults on the Xbox 360. Seriously folks, not to make light of a serious problem, but when I was a kid, the options were a paper route, selling seeds, greeting cards or petty theft. If today’s youngsters can earn thousands doing what most of my peers would’ve gladly done for free, all the power to ’em.

Of course, devoted Maple Leafs fans don’t need me to tell them that genuine exploitation of kids existed in the pre-Internet era, too.