Savagely disappointed

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun The Maple Leafs can live with Curtis Joseph and Greg Andrusak out-pointing their new $10-million sniper for one night.
Though a game-rusty Dmitri Khristich showed the finishing touch of the previous Toronto winger to wear No. 19, if he can keep getting the two or three quality chances he had last night, it will be money well spent.
The contributions of two other former Soviets, Igor Korolev and Sergei Berezin, plus scrappy games from Yanic Perreault and Curtis Joseph, helped the Leafs in a 3-2 win over the Canadiens at the Air Canada Centre.
Toronto twice came back to avoid its first three-game winless streak of the season, keeping pace with the Senators for first place in the Northeast Division.
"Too bad I didn't get a point," Khristich said of his 16 minutes of ice time, five shots and three misses. "But everything felt fine, the new sweater, everything."
Playing left wing on a line with Nik Antropov and Mike Johnson, Khristich put a couple of close-range shots harmlessly into Jeff Hackett's leather.
"He got in the right spots tonight, even though there's nothing on the scoresheet for him," coach Pat Quinn said. "I'm happy with his effort."
Quinn wasn't as pleased about how often the Habs were able to move the puck from their end with ease, resulting in 22 shots and the seventh consecutive game the Leafs have given up a power-play goal. But that last stat has been largely inconsequential and Leafs finished last night with five penalty-kills.
Perreault took two late minors, one a cheap call, the other for tackling Jim Cummins as he was about to bury an empty-netter with Joseph down.
"Yanic should have been first star for that play," Joseph said.
Perreault continues to shine as the injured Mats Sundin's first-line centre sub and played a key role in the physical game. Khristich's arrival takes even more of the pressure away from Perreault.
A near-riot ensued in the middle period when first-star Korolev spied a rebound sitting at the side of Hackett's pad. In fact, the only people in the rink who seemed to see the puck were Korolev and referee Stephen Walkom, who didn't appear to have a good angle but allowed Korolev's second of the season after he pushed aside the Habs netminder to jam it in and tie the game 2-2.
Perreault later was shoved to the ice when he got too close to Hackett and Thomas was given a third-period goaltender-interference penalty. But Joseph didn't fear retaliation at his end.
"Not with Tie (Domi) on the ice," he said with a laugh, noting the Leafs enforcer's lively scrap with Cummins.
The Leafs went ahead late in the second on a Berezin goal, as he finished off a Joseph-assisted rush by banging in a rebound for the winner.
Toronto's first goal was Alyn McCauley's second in as many games. It gave McCauley back-to-back goals for the first time in almost a year as he slowly rediscovers the two-way game that made him so effective last season.
"I think the team is doing a lot of things right," McCauley said. "We seem to battle better 1-on-1 in penalty-killing situations than in 5-on-5."
Joseph, coming off some breakdowns in a loss and tie against the Blues and Hurricanes respectively, gave up another early goal, but it was a beauty by Brian Savage.
Monsieur Octobre -- as the Canadiens' press notes described him -- released a high shot as Cory Cross dragged him down and scored his 10th of the year. In 41 October games since 1995, Savage has 30 goals and 11 assists, but has just 164 career points.
Andrusak, called because of Bryan Berard's suspension and an injury to Chris McAllister, picked up his first point as a Leaf on Korolev's goal.
The Leafs' past eight games have been decided by two goals or less.
"It's the way the league is now," Joseph said. "There's a slim distinction between the teams. Look how well (second-year) Nashville is playing."

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