Sundin back with a bang

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
Following Mats Sundin's trail this past week wasn't too difficult.

Everywhere the Maple Leafs captain went, he left behind a puck in the net, a glacier-sized ice pack in the dressing room and a flock of Swedish and North American writers detailing his feats.

Sundin seems to have recovered from nine games off with a fractured ankle -- his longest absence as an NHLer -- as easy as one beats a case of the sniffles. He has a goal in every game since his return and at least a point in all seven starts this season.

"The production has been there, but I still have to work on some things," Sundin said after Saturday's 3-3 tie in New Jersey. "I've been having trouble with faceoffs. I should be up over 50%."

Instead, he was 16-for-42 on the draw the last two games of the 1-1-1 trip.

Otherwise, the Leafs can't complain at the way he has bounced back. He has given a boost to linemates Jonas Hoglund and Steve Thomas, who dried up in his absence, and reinforced a Leafs' offence that leads the Eastern Conference.

"My skating feels good," Sundin said, despite the need for pre- and post-game treatment. "An ankle is such an important part of your body. But I kept my conditioning up (from training camp), so it was easier to come back."

The Leafs hope to have defenceman Alexander Karpovtsev back for tomorrow's game with Anaheim. He suffered a strained shoulder in a fight with Washington's Chris Simon on Friday and was held out of the New Jersey game.

The club took yesterday off to prepare for the most challenging part of its schedule. The Mighty Ducks come to town with Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne gradually working their way back into the league's top 10 scoring derby. Last year, they ranked second and third at season's end.

"I hope we don't go into overtime against those guys," goaltender Curtis Joseph said of the Leafs' dangerous run-and-gun extra period against the Devils on Saturday.

Toronto also will get a look at winger Ladislav Kohn, whom the Ducks plucked off waivers from the Leafs last month. He has six assists in 14 games.

The Leafs then travel to Boston, where Pat Burns' Bruins have won six in a row. The Bruins had to use greenhorn John Grahame in goal when Toronto romped to a 4-0 win a month ago, but Byron Dafoe is back and ready to build on the 3-1-1 record he had against Joseph and Glenn Healy last year.

The next three home games will feature two division leaders from the West: Detroit, the Leafs' old nemesis, and San Jose, which has rivaled Toronto's offensive clip.

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