Leafs recall Shark attack

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
Don't bother warning the Maple Leafs about swimming with the Sharks tonight.

They already know what dangers await beneath the teal curtain.

While in the Western Conference, the Leafs watched San Jose harvest a treasure of top draft picks. Just as the Leafs changed addresses, those stockpiled picks began to mature as NHLers, aided by veterans Vincent Damphousse and Gary Suter.

The Leafs' overall record of 16-9-3 against San Jose isn't that great compared to Toronto's domination of most of the league's expansion teams in the 1990s. Memories linger of the Sharks being a crossbar away from knocking the Leafs out of the 1994 playoffs.

Until the past couple of weeks, when the Leafs and coach Darrly Sutter's Sharks fell back to earth, it looked like Toronto versus Teal for the Presidents' Trophy.

"Last year, they gave us quite a beating," Leafs captain Mats Sundin said of an 8-5 loss in March, the most goals Toronto gave up in one game last season. "I look at how well guys such as Owen Nolan (fighting for the NHL scoring lead) and Jeff Friesen (a Leafs killer) are playing. They've done a good job (building) that team."

Seven consecutive losing seasons since the Sharks arrived in the league put them at the top of the order on draft day and that has translated into Friesen, Patrick Marleau, Marco Sturm, Mike Rathje, Marcus Ragnarsson, Alexander Korolyk and this year's Calder Trophy contender, defenceman Brad Stuart.

"When people predicted we wouldn't make the playoffs, we didn't believe them," Sharks assistant general manager Wayne Thomas told CBS SportsLine. "Now they're picking us to win the Cup?

"It's not that we don't believe them. We want to. But we have to believe in ourselves first. Now we've got some skill, too. But ... are we a skill team or a straight Darryl Sutter work-ethic team? I think we're still trying to find out."

The Sharks (11-8-2-1) might have overcome their greatest demon last month when they avoided their penchant for horrible starts. In 1998-99, high hopes were dashed by an 0-6-2 launch that included a draining season-opening series in Japan.

Damphousse, who found the proverbial torch in Montreal too hot to handle at times, thrives in anonymity in the Bay Area. He had a two-goal game in his Sharks' debut at the Air Canada Centre in March.

The Leafs, meanwhile, are looking for some inspiration after a 1-1 tie on Saturday against Detroit left them 0-3-2-1 in five games. A frontrunner in league offence when the schedule began, they have scored just 10 since the slump set in.

"It comes with confidence and a lot of guys are just squeezing their sticks right now," defenceman Bryan Berard said. "We're a skating club and everyone (on the other side of centre) knows it and tries to slow us down."

Tonight's game kicks off an interesting home stand for the Leafs, who have the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers coming in later in the week.

"When you're struggling, you're looking for easy games," general manager Pat Quinn said. "They're just aren't any."

In three of the past four games, the Leafs have struggled with the league's new 4-on-4 overtime. The format encourages wide-open play, but runs contrary to Quinn's orders for his forwards to be more conscious of positioning.

The Leafs easily could be 0-3 in OT, even though they get a guaranteed point after a regulation tie.

"It takes time to get used to," Sundin said. "I can see why coaches might be frustrated."

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