While Little Italy is great, for your purpose I'd Stay next to the dome. If you want some nightlife post game, head up to Spadina and King, walk west and you'll have tons of bars between Spadina and Bathurst.
Pubs before the game.. Stick to Front St. Loose Moose is good pub food at University and Front. Next door to it is Jack Astors and a few other pubs.
South of the dome on Bremner there's a St Louis and few other places.