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SUNRISE, FLA. — It is too late to mean anything in the NHL playoff race, but Mats Sundin is living up to his words of wanting nothing more than helping the Toronto Maple Leafs win.
Most of the credit for the Leafs' come-from-behind 4-3 shootout win over the Florida Panthers can go to the team captain, with a healthy assist to defenceman Tomas Kaberle. Kaberle was the first and only player to score in the shootout, which gave the Leafs their fifth win in their past six games.
But without Sundin, the Leafs would never have made it to overtime, let alone a shootout. He set up the Leafs' first goal and then scored the next two, running his season total to 28, to get them into overtime.
"He is a great leader," Kaberle said of Sundin. "He said he wanted to stay for a reason, to help us win. He's the man."
Toronto's Jeremy Williams is congratulated by teammate Mats Sundin, right, after Williams scored against the Florida Panthers. (Alan Diaz/AP)
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- Carolina Hurricanes
- Florida Panthers
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Wade Belak
- Tanner Glass
- Olli Jokinen
- Tomas Kaberle
- Chad Kilger
- Bryan McCabe
- Brett McLean
- Kris Newbury
- Rostislav Olesz
- Mats Sundin
- Vesa Toskala
Since Sundin told interim general manager Cliff Fletcher last Sunday that he would not waive the no-trade clause in his contract, he has three goals and an assist in two games. He was the best player on the ice again last night, putting the Leafs on his back and carrying them after they fell behind 2-0 in the first period.
"In the last three weeks, we've played a lot better," Sundin said. "Even though we were down [against the Panthers], I thought we were in the game the whole way. I think we've played the same for the last month. It seems like we're not making as many mistakes. We're staying out of the penalty box."
However, it does not mean the Leafs are making any strides in the playoff race. The two points from the win did not help much, as the Buffalo Sabres also won to move into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, six points ahead of the Leafs.
Sundin's assist in the second period on Jeremy Williams's goal was notable for trivia buffs.
The goal was Williams' third in as many NHL games going back three seasons, making the 24-year-old native of Glenavon, Sask., the only player in NHL history to play three games and score in each one. Before the Leafs called him up from their farm team, Williams was the only player in league history to do it in two games. He was summoned from the Toronto Marlies for one game in 2005-06 and scored, and the same thing happened last season. Sundin set up that one, too.
"He would have 100 goals if he had 100 games, it seems like," Sundin said.
The Leafs promoted Williams this time, along with Kris Newbury, to fill in their roster after three players were shipped out on Tuesday, the deadline for trades.
"Wow, we've got to send him down [today], just so he can score in our next game," head coach Paul Maurice said.
Williams said he was "a fortunate case, I guess." But, he added, "it doesn't hurt that I get to play with Mats Sundin. He set me up last year, too."
Jassen Cullimore, Brett McLean and Rostislav Olesz scored for the Panthers.
Wade Belak, the one former Leaf who showed up for the game out of the two traded to the Panthers on Tuesday, managed to be part of a goal against his former team. He did not get a point on Cullimore's goal, but he was on the ice.
The other former Leaf who was traded to the Panthers, forward Chad Kilger, was not in the lineup. He was granted a leave of absence by Panthers head coach and general manager Jacques Martin to take care of personal matters. Kilger also took a two-week leave a month ago when he was with the Leafs.
Maurice said he wants the Leafs to keep plugging away for the rest of the season. He is not paying any attention to all of the discussion about how it is in the Leafs' best interests to finish as low as possible in the NHL standings to get a shot at prospective star Steven Stamkos in this year's entry draft.
"I'd like us to play our last 20 games as hard as we can, to get that good feeling in our room and keep it," Maurice said.
He is also aware of the changes in store for the Leafs in the off-season and the possibility he could be one of them.
"You're aware of it, sure," he said. "If you spend enough time here, you know this is not a job-security business."
