Leafs blank limp 'Canes

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Mats Sundin barged back into the Maple Leafs lineup last night like John Belushi joining an Animal House toga party.

"This was fun," Sundin said of Toronto's most dominating game in two seasons, a 6-0 whitewash of the Carolina Hurricanes. Sundin triggered dormant linemates Jonas Hoglund and Steve Thomas to life as the trio combined for a seven-point night.

"You could tell by watching them the past three weeks (as Sundin rehabilitated a fractured right ankle) that the guys were having a good time. We were just so confident (last night)."

The Leafs quickly dispelled any doubts about Sundin's health, general manager/coach Pat Quinn's revamped lines or the team's ability to maintain their success following a 4-0-1 home stand.

With goalie Curtis Joseph making key stops early and Mike Johnson scoring 22 seconds apart in the first period, the Leafs moved into a first-place tie overall in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks with 21 points (Toronto has a game in hand on L.A.; two on San Jose). The Leafs lowered their No. 1 goals-against average to 1.63.

Hoglund also had two goals for the Leafs, who scored twice in each period. Sundin and Tomas Kaberle had the others.

Joseph stopped 24 shots, while the Leafs blocked another eight and killed off four minor penalties.

"A great night for the team bonus plan," Joseph said with a smile.

Joseph now has three shutouts this season, two in the past three games. He has given up just three goals in his past four starts.

"Since the second half of last season, we've been working on (team) defence," Quinn said. "We didn't want to be in a position where we're relying on our goaltender as much as we did last year. We can't get better if we don't play solid defence."

The defencemen moved the puck particularly quickly to frustrate the Hurricanes, now 0-2 in their new, but sparsely populated, building.

Sundin, after losing his first few faceoffs against opposite number Ron Francis, gradually got his timing back and made former Leafs goalie Eric Fichaud pay. Sundin, who could've had five points on the night, had one goal disallowed for an interpreted kicking motion.

"I'll take another 60 games like that from him," Quinn said.

Sundin finished with two points, giving him nine in five games.

"I could feel fatigue in my (right foot) in the tendons as the game went on," Sundin said as he kicked off a huge ice pack.

"But it is good to be back."

MIDAS TOUCH

Meanwhile, Quinn's Midas touch with his line combinations saw Yanic Perreault thrive as Johnson's centre, and Nik Antropov look sharp in a move to left wing from centre. Perreault won all seven of his first-period faceoffs.

"The hope you have is that the opposition doesn't find it possible to cover two or three (scoring) lines," Quinn said. "But we still have some holes. I thought we turned the puck over too many times early in the game."

Fichaud, who was coming off a shutout himself and looking for his third win in as many starts, was stunned by two Johnson garbage goals at 6:51 and 7:13. But the bang-bang markers weren't close to Busher Jackson's club record of two goals in seven seconds, set in 1932.

Before the game, Carolina coach Paul Maurice expressed admiration for how the Leafs have built themselves into a contender.

"They're really scary," Maurice said. "They've got great goaltending and their defence is very skilled. Fortunately for the Leafs, they're young (on defence) and will only get better."

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