Leafs earn top marks

By DAVE FULLER -- Toronto Sun Rare is the occasion when a club carts home a hockey bag full of souvenirs after battling the Dallas Stars.
But the Maple Leafs last night caught the defending Stanley Cup champs with seven regulars in sick bay and too many nervous rookies filling in.
They knew better than to take the Stars too lightly, too, after almost being stung by the injury-riddled Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
The result last night was a convincing 4-0 victory that boosted the Leafs into first place overall in the 28-team NHL.
Curtis Joseph blocked 17 shots for this second shutout of the season, helping improve Toronto's record to 7-3-1.
Former Bruin Dmitri Khristich assisted on the Leafs' first goal and scored the third early in the final period as he and linemates Nik Antropov and Mike Johnson combined for six points.
The points were Khristich's first as a Leaf but not the only memorable Leafs highlights at the Air Canada Centre:
- Steve Thomas scored his first of the season in his 11th outing.
- Bryan Berard celebrated his return from a two-game suspension with his 100th career assist.
- Johnson's first-period goal was his 100th point in the league.
- Hardluck centre Alyn McCauley extended his points streak to three games, assisting on Tomas Kaberle's late-game goal.
Amid all this cheer there was relief, too, as Mats Sundin yesterday was able to skate for the first time since fracturing his right ankle seven games ago.
The Leafs captain could be back playing as early as Nov. 9 when Toronto returns from a three-game trip to face the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
The Leafs, who are 4-2-1 during Sundin's absence, wrap up a five-game home stand against the expansion Atlanta Thrashers (tomorrow) and the little-regarded Calgary Flames (Saturday).
The Stars, who were missing Darryl Sydor, Richard Matvichuk and Shawn Chambers on defence, panicked a bit in the first period and it cost them.
Johnson scored at 2:08 after rookie defenceman Alan Letang failed to block and control Khristich's quick flip pass from the neutral zone.
Antropov picked up the loose puck and fired at goalie Ed Belfour, who failed to stop Johnson from sliding the rebound underneath him.
Thomas made it 2-0, roofing a 12-footer over Belfour at 13:34 after Dallas defencemen Letang and Brad Lukowich converged on Yanic Perreault as he collected Berard's lob pass up the middle and burst into slot.

PUCK WAS IN
Perreault spotted Thomas alone on the right side and the puck was in before Belfour could get set.
The Stars managed just four shots during the first period, two of them resulting from a late power play.
Toronto muffed a chance to go up 3-0 midway through the second period after Stars Aaron Gavey and Sergei Zubov drew penalties 61 seconds apart. The Leafs were guilty of overpassing during the two-man power play, testing Belfour just once.
Johnson battled his way past Lukowich to set up Khristich at 3:26 of the third.
Kaberle finished Dallas off, burying McCauley's drop pass behind Belfour.
Stars rookie defencemen Letang and Lukowich were a combined minus-five for the night.

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