Leafs Watch

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun TROUBLE IS BRUIN: The Leafs won't have to deal with all-star Byron Dafoe in the Boston net tonight, but that hardly makes the game against the Pat Burns-coached Bruins a cinch.
The Leafs have a 1-4-2 record against the Bruins since 1997-98, with Mats Sundin goalless in those seven games and pointless in the past five. To dig up even more Beantown skeletons for the Swede, his six career goals in 38 games against the Bruins represent his lowest output against any of the Adams/Northeastern Division teams he has faced while with Quebec and Toronto.
"There was never any room in Boston Garden," Sundin said of the now-extinct rink. "Boston is a team that never gives you a whole lot. They're a very competitive team that has four good lines."
Goaltender Curtis Joseph, with a 7-7-1 career record against the Bruins with a 2.49 goals-against average, lost twice to them last season.
"Trap teams give us trouble and it's a good year to rectify that," Joseph said.
NO ROCK MUSIC: The Leafs discussed -- and then abandoned -- the idea of putting Alyn McCauley on the St. John's farm team for a few weeks of conditioning while they get their roster straightened out.
"I think (general manager/coach) Pat Quinn wants to get him in the lineup here soon," assistant to the president Bill Watters said. "The questions (after eight months out with post-concussion syndrome) can just as easily be answered here."
NO SURRENDER: If the Tampa Bay Lightning had been leading the Montreal Canadiens 2-0 and given up a third-period goal, Cory Cross said the result likely would have been much different than the Leafs' two-goal rally Saturday for a 4-1 win. The new Toronto defenceman was stunned by the Leafs' composure, from Joseph to the forwards, where the Lightning might have panicked.
"It's not their fault, because Tampa doesn't have Mats or Cujo," Cross said of his old team. "When you get into that habit of losing, you just can't help it."
Cross was satisfied with the calibre of his 15 minutes of ice against the Habs, keeping his conservative game even more simple. He broke up a dangerous 2-on-1 and though Cross took an early penalty, Sundin turned it into a short-handed goal.
"It was quite a way to start -- Toronto and Montreal on Hockey Night In Canada -- but any mistakes I made, Potsie (Alexander Karpovtsev) was there to cover for me," Cross said.
BRIEFLY: The Leafs defence blocked eight shots Saturday ... Karpovtsev, whose plus-39 was two shy of qualifying for the NHL plus/minus trophy last season, had problems on the power play, but was a plus 3 to lead all defencemen on both teams.

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