Iggy's pop sorely missed

By TIM WHARNSBY -- Toronto Sun Sergei Berezin is hoping the return of Iggy will add more pop to the Maple Leafs' lead sniper.
"I love working with Iggy," Berezin said yesterday, discussing the return of centre Igor Korolev to the lineup for a game tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Air Canada Centre.
"We played together for a long time last season and we really worked well together."
Berezin, Korolev and Garry Valk comprised the Leafs' most consistent line last season.
But Korolev was felled by a broken right index finger, causing him to miss the final 13 games of the season, and then broke his lower left leg in the opening game of the playoffs.
Korolev's snake-bitten ways continued last Wednesday against Nashville when a clearing attempt by a teammate struck him in the face and cracked his sinus cavity, a similar injury to one he suffered three seasons ago with Phoenix.
"I can't explain it," said Korolev, who still sports a six-stitch cut and a two-stitch cut from his latest mishap. "Somebody stole my luck from me."
With Korolev as his centre, Berezin has two goals, one assist and 33 shots on goal in six games. In the two games without Korolev, Berezin has one goal and eight shots.
Rookie Nikolai Antropov has filled in admirably in Korolev's absence.
"We still worked hard with Nikolai in there," Berezin said. "I still had lots of chances. I want more results.
"The team needs to start scoring more than three goals a game. I have to start scoring more."
Korolev has been labelled by general manager/coach Pat Quinn as the Leafs' most reliable centre for his understanding of the transition game in his own end.

KEY ROLE
"Centre ice is the key position to the transition (game)," Quinn said.
"A lot of centres don't get back into the right position. He does. He is dependable."
The Leafs also missed Korolev's penalty-killing ability. They gave up power-play goals in weekend games in Chicago and St. Louis without him.
The Leafs have allowed seven power-play goals in the past five games.
It is difficult to place importance on a part of the schedule this early in the season. But the Leafs begin a five-game home stand tomorrow and play 10 of their next 14 at the Air Canada Centre.
"We have been good at home, but not in a dominant sense," Quinn said. "I don't know if we are good enough yet to be dominant.
"Over the years, a lot of teams come in here and (produce) one of their better efforts. They have people in the stands, there is the national television thing. We were a good home team last year, but you want to be well above that .500 record at home."
The time at home also will allow the Leafs to work on their transition game and penalty killing.
Last Saturday, the Leafs completed a whirlwind start to the season, having played eight games in 15 nights.
Defenceman Cory Cross, who suffered a strained lower leg in St. Louis on Saturday when knocked into the boards by Jamal Mayers, will try to skate tomorrow. He is listed as day to day.

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