Leafs Continue Hot Play

Yesterday, the Toronto Maple Leafs were facing the Atlanta Thrashers and the best scorer in the league in Ilya Kovalchuk. It was going to be a real test of Toronto's defensive ability and goaltending, but they were up to it.

The game was expected to be a high scoring affair, but it was a defensive battle in the 1st period. Toskala and Lehtonen stopped a combined 14 shots in the period to keep it scoreless. But in the 2nd period, the scoring started.

While in the late stages of a penalty kill, Toskala stopped a blast from Kovalchuk, and the rebound went right to Hal Gill. He then dumped it to an open Boyd Devereaux coming out of the penalty box, but the pass went to deep and to the goaltender. But good hustle made Lehtonen make a mistake a fan on the dump. Devereaux then got the puck and shoveled it in to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead. Then, 3 minutes later, Mats Sundin took a bad shot from a bad angle, but he caught Lehtonen off his guard, as he opened the 5-hole just as the puck was coming to him. It was Sundin's 16th of the year to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead.

Nut before the period could end, Alexei Ponikarovsky took a hit to the head from Bobby Holik. The result was a hard bite on the tongue, and a whole lot of bleeding. Durong the intermission, he got stitches, but stayed in the game. It turned out to be a good decision.
Because in the 3rd period, after some hard work from Antropov in the corner, Ponikarovsky got the puck, and sniped it top shelf on Lehtonen. And 2 minutes later, he did it again, and again it was off a beautiful play from Antropov. The final score in the game was 4-0, as Toskala picked up his 10th career shutout, and his 2nd of the season.

This was the Leafs' 6th win in their last 7 games, and right now, everyone is firing at all cylinders. Sundin and Antropov are on pace for career years, and Toskala is playing great in goal. He hasn't allowed more than 3 goals in a game in his past 12 games, and hasn't allowed more than 2 in his past 7 games! Ironically, this stretch of good play came 7 games a go, when the Leafs won 4-2 over the Thrashers. So why is Toskala playing so good of late?

"I'm seeing the puck well," Toskala said. "Overall, I'm really comfortable. I'm having fun. That's the key."

The Leafs will now play Montreal in a Saturday night showdown of 2 teams going in opposite directions. The Leafs playing their best hockey of the year, and the Canadians playing their worst home hockey since 1968. It will certainley be a good game to watch.

Sticking Around

It's been a tough stretch of weeks for Mats Sundin. He avoided hip surgery, and rumors he was going to retire. But now, that is all put behind him, as today hen signed a $5.5 million, one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 36-year-old Swede, Toronto's captain, had 76 points (27 goals, 49 assists) in 75 games with the Leafs last season while earning $7.6 million. Sundin's salary cap figure last season was $6.3 million, so Toronto receives a significant savings with this deal. It also gives the Leafs more flexibility beyond 2008 in case Sundin retires after the coming season.

"We are extremely proud to have Mats continue as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs," Ferguson said in a statement. "Not only has he been one of the greatest players in our franchise history, but his exemplary leadership on and off the ice has been all that any organization could want from a team captain.

"We will again rely on Mats' playing ability on the ice and on all of the contributions he makes to the development of our young players."

Sundin also talked about his new contract with the Leafs.

"I've never felt there was a bigger chance to win a Stanley Cup with a different organization," he said. "Especially with the last few years where we've seen a new organization winning every year. All the organizations are pretty evenly matched with the salary cap. ..

"I do want to finish my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf. I don't have any urgency to go anywhere else."

Sundin also said he was not concerned about his health.

"I had some issues in the middle of last season with my hip, it was a little sore. I think it's because I got hit once. After that, I worked out with Matt Nichol and the medical staff," Sundin said. "For the last two months of the season I really didn't have any problems at all. It didn't bother me. There's nothing that bothers me now."

Now the Leafs have the center of their franchise locked up for this season. Now the challenge is to get players who can play and put them around Sundin.

To Sign, or Not to Sign

The Toronto Maple Leafs missed the playoffs in 2006-2007 and will need to get creative in the summer to make a push for the playoffs next season. And a huge part of next season is Mats Sundin.

This year is the last year in his contract, his option year. Rumors his career would end or be delayed because of a hip problem have been dismissed and he can focus on hockey. But what is next for his hockey career?

He is very close to a deal that will see him sign a 1-year extension, but the Leafs organization would have gladly extended his contract by 2 or 3 years. This is purely Sundin's decision, and he says he wants to be in full control of what happens over the next few years. A Ray Bourque situation may arise here with Sundin as well.

Sundin has been so great in his career with the Leafs. Sundin has led the Leafs in scoring in 11 of his 12 seasons with the team. In 1,231 career games, he has 523 goals, which is 29th-best in NHL history and only one behind Bryan Trottier, and he has 720 assists for 1,243 points, which puts him 33rd on the all-time league list. But the Leafs have never won the cup.

The problem that the Leafs have right now, is that they need to get some players around Sundin fast. Players like Alex Steen and Kyle Wellwood will not be playing their best hockey until their late 20's.

But the Sundin issue is only 1 of many issues that the Maple Leafs staff have to face, in order for the Leafs to be a contender in future years.