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Antropov returns from suspension, scores OT winner

Feb 10, 2008 - 12:49 AM By Jeff Lieberman PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

TORONTO (Ticker) -- Nik Antropov's return paid immediate dividends for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Antropov scored on a redirection of defenseman Anton Stralman's slap shot from the point 62 seconds into overtime to power the Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Antropov, who was playing his first game since serving a three-game suspension for throwing his stick in the direction of the officials at the conclusion of Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, skated past the net but could not control the puck enough to get off a shot.

The 27-year-old native of Kazakhstan alertly found Stralman, who fired a slapper that Antropov tipped past goaltender Dominik Hasek.

"Kabby (All-Star defenseman Tomas Kaberle) made a pretty good play on our end of the ice," Antropov said. "Then we got a 3-on-3 rush, I drove the middle and he found me in front. Hasek was down already and I was too close to him, so I gave it back to Kabby. (Stralman) was coming in from the bench. I just went hard to the net, Anton made a pretty good shot and I just tipped it."

"Their defenceman took a shot and Antropov came from the corner and got a piece of it," Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "We had a guy or two on him, but he got his stick on it."

The game went into overtime courtesy of Toronto captain Mats Sundin.

With the Red Wings clinging to a 2-1 lead, Sundin split the defense and wristed a shot that went between the pads of Hasek and trickled over the goal line at 13:35 of the third period.

Darcy Tucker opened the scoring with a power-play goal and Vesa Toskala made 32 saves for the Maple Leafs, who have won two straight games following an embarrassing 8-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

"We beat two teams (Montreal and Detroit) that are playing the best hockey right now, (so) it gives us confidence," Toskala said. "But we have to be ready against every team."

Toskala improved to 6-1-0 lifetime against the Red Wings.

"Vesa played well," Tucker said. "We let him see the puck, for the most part, and even when we didn't, he made great saves. We have to give him a lot of credit for this win."

Tucker netted his third goal in two games nine minutes into the first period, when his pass attempt caromed off a defensman's skate and past Hasek.

"Mats was open on the far side, Kaber made a good pass,," Tucker said. "I was looking to pass it through (Lidstrom's) legs and it went off his foot. For all the bad luck I've seen this year, it was nice to see that one go in."

Lidstrom tied the game at 1-1 at 16:59 of the second period, when he slipped past Toronto blue-liner Pavel Kubina and stuck out his stick to deflect fellow All-Star Pavel Datsyuk's pass between Toskala's pads.

A five-time Norris Trophy winner, Lidstrom helped give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead at 11:18 of the third. After his long shot was stopped by Toskala, the puck bounced off fellow Swede Mikael Samuelsson and into the net.

Hasek turned aside 22 shots for Detroit, which has lost two straight contests when leading in the third period.

"I thought as today's game went on, we got better and better, but we were unable to get the points," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.

"Tonight, we got better as the game went on," Lidstrom added. "(But) we couldn't hold on to the lead we had in the third."

The win was the third in four games for the Maple Leafs, who still are last in the Northeast Division with 55 points.

"Every win for us is huge," Antropov said. "We need every point right now because we're still hoping to make the playoffs. It was a huge win for us."