Sundin off to great start in new season

TORONTO (CP) -- Mats Sundin has long been regarded as one of the NHL's most talented players. Yet, a superstar label does not hang from his No. 13 jersey.
It has been withheld because during his first eight years in the league the mediocre teams he played for in Quebec and Toronto missed the playoffs five times. He was no Moses leading the Nordiques and the Maple Leafs out of hockey's wilderness.
Jaromir Jagr, Eric Lindros, Peter Forsberg, Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya -- these are the names hockey fans uttered when asked to name superstars. Sundin was a rung below on the status ladder.
Well, Sundin is in the process of taking a step up.
The six-foot-four Swede switched his game to a higher level last season in leading the Maple Leafs into the Stanley Cup semifinals, and he's been awesome in his club's 2-0 start this season.
He's in his prime in this his 10th NHL season, and while his low-key modesty remains intact, his teammates sense a change in their captain.
"Yeah, I do, actually," linemate Steve Thomas replied when asked if he sees anything different about Sundin this autumn. "You see him in the gym all the time doing situps and pushups and stuff like that. He's in unbelievable shape right now.
"You can just see it in his eyes. When he's getting ready for a game, he's focused on what he's got to do. He really, to me, look like he wants to take the bull by the horns and go after it this year."
Sundin says the team's breakthrough 1998-99 season is the chief reason for his fine play. Success breeds optimism, which leads to better performances, he says.
"There was a sense of confidence during training camp here, and there was a really good feeling in the dressing room going into our season opener in Montreal," Sundin said. "There is kind of a relaxed feeling in the room, even though everybody knows there is a lot of stuff going on" in terms of roster decisions.
"Everyone wanted to get off to a good start. When you have a winning record, you want to continue doing that. You want to hold onto that feeling. Coming off the playoffs we had last spring, that was nice for everybody on the team, and it makes you want to get back there. We were a confident and relaxed group of guys starting the season and that's a good sign."
A 4-1 win over the Canadiens last Saturday preceded a 4-0 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Monday. Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche provide a more serious test.
Sundin has two goals and two assists.
"It's nice to get off on the right foot, that's for sure," he said.
He has finished among the NHL's top 10 in scoring once -- 1996-97 when he was seventh with 94 points including 41 goals. Last season, Sundin, 28, earned 83 points including 31 goals. In 17 playoff games, he had 16 points including eight goals.
He's determined to be among the top 10 at season's end.
"That's part of my job," he says. "That's what I'm getting paid for -- to be productive.
"I should be there (in top 10) given my position on the team and the ice time I'm getting."
Only seven men are pulling down more than his $7 million US this season. He knows the resulting expectations of Toronto's ownership and fans are high. Others might buckle under such intense pressure, but not Sundin. He flashes the grin that always comes so easily. He's no braggart, but he knows he has the athletic gifts to fulfil those expectations.
"There are 10 or 15 guys who are the top players in the league and I'm one of them," he said after practice Tuesday. "The way it is right now, I don't think there are one or two guys, like it was a couple of years ago, who are the most outstanding in the league. You're looking at a lot of players" making up the elite group.
"If I'm having the year I know I can have, and be productive and stay healthy, I think I should be in the top 10 (in scoring). That's an ambition I have. And with the tools I have, I think I should be able to produce those kind of numbers."
Sundin's durability is a huge asset. He's not a basher, but there is plenty of muscle on his 225-pound frame to withstand the grind. He has not missed a game since 1995-96.
When Pat Quinn took over last year as head coach and opened up the offence, everything about the Leafs changed.
"The way we're playing, first of all, it's the most fun way to play -- a lot of skating and passing," says Sundin. "I think it's a great fit for our team.
"We have some great passers and skaters, and the coaching staff has done a good job to realize that we're not a dump-it-in and crash-and-bang team."
The irony, or course, is that despite the freedom Sundin continues to assert himself at both ends of the rink. He declines becoming a goal hog to pad his personal stats.
"If I'm going to be the captain of the team and one of the leaders, I have to play both ways. If you look at hockey nowadays, the more all-around you are as a player, the better it is for you. I think it's just positive if you can play both ends of the ice."
He might be on the verge of earning a superstar label. If he keeps this up, it is inevitable.

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