• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Leafs snap three-game slide on late goal by O'Neill

Dec 27, 2006 - 6:49 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Jeff O'Neill made Toronto's hard work pay off in the third period.

O'Neill fired a rebound past goaltender Manny Fernandez with 2:18 left to lift the Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Leafs, who will be without center Michael Peca for at least four months due to a broken leg suffered last Friday in a game against Chicago.

Mats Sundin scored a power-play goal in the first period and won the faceoff that led to O'Neill's game-winner. Sundin tapped the puck to Bryan McCabe, who snapped a shot from between the faceoff circles. Fernandez made the save with his left pad, but O'Neill was positioned in front for the rebound and roofed the puck just under the right crossbar.

"It's almost like a set play," Sundin said. "It's tough for defensemen to defend when Bryan (McCabe) gets a little time to shoot. This time it was a good rebound that came to Jeff and he was able to put it away. It's nice to not have to go to overtime."

Toronto outshot the Wild, 15-6, in the third period.

The Maple Leafs tied the game, 2-2, on a penalty shot by John Pohl with 7:16 left in the second period. Pohl skated in on Fernandez and quickly went from forehand to backhand, lifting the puck over the goalie's right pad.

"It's a good story, he's (John Pohl) from Minnesota," Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice said. "It was a great move on the penalty shot. I haven't seen that one before. He's got lots of confidence, he's playing well. He's just getting faster, he's getting stronger and having confidence in his game."

Alex Steen, who was put on the top line with Sundin, gave Toronto a 3-2 lead 3:49 into the third period on a gift goal when Fernandez failed to close his glove on a weak shot.

Brian Rolston tied the game with a power-play goal with 10:28 left, ending an 0-for-26 drought for the Wild with the man advantage.

Kurtis Foster and Wes Walz also scored for Minnesota, which is winless in its last nine road games (0-8-1).

"It's been a while, so it's obviously affecting us," Fernandez said of the Wild's road struggles. " If it's in the back of our minds I don't know. Obviously, it is."