Leafs Watch

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
ICE GUYS FINISH FIRST: Among those cheering Saturday's snowfall and the recent cold snap was the Air Canada Centre's ice crew. Any weather condition that holds off spring humidity is welcome.

"We're starting a very busy season here," arena general manager Bob Hunter said. "The Raptors will be starting playoffs soon (which didn't conflict with the Maple Leafs last year), but it looks like they'll be opening on the road.

"I think we're over the hump on ice (the Leafs complained last spring about chippy ice, but mostly when they lost). But we'll have to do everything we can to keep the building cool during the day."

BEWARE OF DOUG: Mats Sundin's goal on Saturday was his 453rd point as a Leaf, enabling him to pass Doug Gilmour for 13th overall in club history.

"How long (did that take Gilmour), two years?" Sundin said with admiration of his predecessor as captain. "I don't look at that kind of thing too much. We just want to keep building on what we've done here."

Sundin had just passed another Leafs captain on the list, Wendel Clark. Gilmour got 452 points in 392 games, 50 fewer games than Sundin.

Sundin ended the season with 73 points, the first since Darryl Sittler to lead the Leafs in points six consecutive years. However, a foot injury that cost him nine games early in the schedule made it Sundin's lowest output in a full season since he was traded to Toronto in 1994.

LEND ME A FINN: There could be an announcement on a new contract for assistant coach Alpo Suhonen during the playoffs. "I have opened that conversation up," Quinn said. "(A deal) won't be done immediately, but we want him back."

The well-travelled Finn has been mentioned as a candidate in Chicago, possibly as head coach, and would have a window to take such a job in any new deal with the Leafs. Interestingly, Chicago Blackhawks manager of hockey operations Mike Smith recently added respected Finnish coach Sakari Pietila as European scout with a possible move to North America in the future.

WOE CANADA: Though the Leafs are 25-12-1 in regular- season play against Canadian teams since 1998-99, they are 1-11 in playoff games since beating the Montreal Canadiens for the Cup in 1967. Toronto was swept by the Habs in 1978 and 1979 and lost to Quinn's Vancouver Canucks in five in the 1994 Western Conference final.

LOOSE LEAFS: G Curtis Joseph was the runaway winner of the Molson Cup. He and G Felix Potvin have won the team's three-star award a total of five consecutive years ... Quinn's 90th regular-season win on Saturday moved him past Mike Nykoluk (1981-84) into eighth place among Leafs coaches.

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