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Sundin, Maple Leafs edge Lightning in shootout

Jan 2, 2008 - 5:03 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Captain Mats Sundin showed his teammates how its done in the shootout.

Sundin scored the game-winner in the bonus format as the Toronto Maple Leafs posted a 4-3 win over the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Jason Blake, defenseman Hal Gill and Sundin all scored in regulation and Scott Clemmensen earned his first career win for Toronto, which has won six straight here vs. Tampa Bay.

"We played a solid game," Gill said. "Our lines were going good and we were coming down the ice back hard. We also played very responsibly."

After both teams had tallied in the first round of the shootout, Brad Richards was denied on the Lightning's second attempt, giving the Toronto captain a chance. Sundin skated in before backhanding a shot to the stick side of rookie goaltender Karri Ramo to give the Maple Leafs the advantage.

Tampa Bay had chance to re-tie but a shot by Martin St. Louis was stopped by the right pad of Clemmensen, giving Toronto the win while also snapping its three-game losing streak.

"The thing about shootouts is you don't have to be perfect as a goalie, you just need to get a piece of it and I was able to do it, with (Richards) and St. Louis as well," Clemmensen said.

The Maple Leafs had trailed, 1-0, after the first period but scored three times in the second to take a one-goal advantage into the third.

Blake tied the game at 3:23 into the middle session before Sundin faked a slap shot before wristing a shot past Ramo put Toronto up, 2-1, midway through the second.

"When you play with Mats, obviously it opens things up," Blake said. "It was a good team effort and Scotty (Clemmensen) played great."

It was 541st career goal by Sundin, tying him with Stan Mikita for 25th on the NHL all-time list.

After Gill gave the Leafs a 3-2 lead with 2:33 left in the second, the Maple Leafs remained in control until Lightning blue-liner Paul Ranger knotted the game at 3-3 with just 51 seconds left in regulation.

"I was just following the play up and it was a one-timer that found it's way into the net," Ranger said.

Clemmensen, who was recalled by Toronto on December 26 from the American Hockey League, stopped 30 shots for his eighth career victory.

"I thought we played a good game for sixty minutes," Clemmensen said. "We were a bad bounce away from winning it, 3-2, in regulation."

Ramo made 26 saves for Tampa Bay, which lost for the fifth straight time and remained six games under .500 (15-21-4).

"Their top guys outplayed our top guys," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "You have a shootout to try to make up for it and we couldn't get it done. That's why you walk away with one point and not two."