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Sundin sparks Leafs to comeback win over Panthers

Feb 28, 2008 - 5:42 AM By Michael Snyder PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) - Captain Mats Sundin got the Toronto Maple Leafs to a shootout and All-Star defenseman Tomas Kaberle and Vesa Toskala made sure they won once they got there.

Sundin scored a pair of goals in the third period and Kaberle and Toskala came up big in the shootout to lead the Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.

Trailing, 2-1, entering the third period, Toronto leveled the contest just 2:49 into the session on Sundin's first goal of the game.

Rostislav Olesz, whose tripping penalty set up Sundin's 550th career goal to tie the game, scored on the power play as the Panthers took a 3-2 lead nearly nine minutes later.

Sundin tied the game, 3-3, with 68 seconds remaining in the final session and after the overtime, Kaberle scored the lone goal in the first round of the shootout.

"At the start I was going blocker but I knew he (Vokoun) always puts the stick up," Kaberle said. "I tried to squeeze it in between the legs and it worked out well."

Toskala sealed the victory by stopping Olesz, Ville Peltonen and captain Olli Jokinen.

"That first one just hit the post," Toskala said. "The last two, I was in a good position and kept my eyes on the puck and made the saves."

Florida fell to 1-3-2 in its last six while Toronto improved to 5-1-0 in its last six and leapfrogged the Panthers in the Eastern Conference standings in the process.

"Six points is not much," Kaberle said of the Maple Leafs' deficit against the eighth-place Buffalo Sabres. "We need to get on a roll. We've got two more on the road and then we go home. It's wide open if we keep winning."

Defenseman Jassen Cullimore and Brett McLean also scored goals for the Panthers, who have lost each of the last four times they have had a two-goal lead - including Wednesday after having a 2-0 lead after one period.

Jeremy Williams halved the deficit when he scored under All-Star Tomas Vokoun's right arm at 6:56 of the second. Williams, who was recalled from the minors on Tuesday, has now scored a goal in his first three NHL games - the first player in league history to do so.

"It's a fortunate case I guess," said Williams, 24. "It doesn't hurt playing with Mats (Sundin) last year and he set me up and he did it again tonight. He sets it up on a platter for you and I'm just in the right spot at the right time I guess you could say."

Then, Sundin made a bit more history when he tied the game at 2-2 with his milestone goal.

Sundin ventured into the crease, and after skating by defenseman Steve Montador, roofed a wrist shot that went over Vokoun's glove 2:49 into the third.

"He's been doing that since he got here," Toronto coach Paul Maurice said of Sundin. "He's a great leader."

"He (Sundin) decided he wants to stay and for a reason," Kaberle said. "He's the man here and he's always been. Everybody follows him and tries to play like him."

Cullimore scored his first goal of the season at home when he sent the puck past Toskala from the left circle on a feed from Tanner Glass at 9:27.

McLean made it 2-0 when he lifted the puck over Toskala's stick from just outside the crease after Olesz dug it out along the right boards.

McLean's tally was not only his 10th tally of the season, but also was Florida's 10th unanswered goal against Toronto. In the last meeting the Panthers rolled over the Leafs, 8-0, in Toronto on February 5.

"We lost some momentum and their top players really stepped up (late)," McLean said. "This time of year, the only thing that matters is getting two points, and we keep allowing scoring chances when we have the lead like that. I can't tell you how frustrated we are as a team right now."

"I don't know how many times we've blown a lead (this year)," Jokinen added. "It's not good enough."

The game came a day after Toronto sent defenseman Wade Belak and Chad Kilger to Florida in exchange for pair of picks in this year's draft.

Kilger wasn't on the ice due to personal issues and Belak saw limited action.