• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Blake, Toskala help Maple Leafs edge Devils

Dec 17, 2008 - 4:00 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs spoiled Scott Clemmensen's bid to stymie his former team.

Jason Blake netted the decisive goal in the fourth round of a shootout against Clemmensen and Vesa Toskala shined in goal as the Maple Leafs edged the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, on Tuesday.

Jeremy Williams tallied in regulation and also scored in the bonus format in support of Toskala, who made 25 saves before denying attempts from Zach Parise, Patrik Elias and Brian Rolston to secure the victory.

Nik Antropov also tallied and defenseman Tomas Kaberle notched two assists for the Maple Leafs, who extended their winning streak to three games.

Mike Rupp scored and Parise netted his team-leading 17th goal, but the Devils fell for the second consecutive contest.

"We didn't play a 60-minute game tonight," New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said. "I thought we had a lapse for 14 minutes there."

Clemmensen, who played as a backup in Toronto last season, has taken command of the starting netminder's job in the absence of the injured four-time Vezina Trophy winner Martin Brodeur. The 31-year-old made 25 saves in regulation and turned aside Lee Stempniak's attempt before Toskala poked away Parise's wrister in the first round of the shootout.

Kaberle's wrister was blocked by Clemmensen and Toskala then saved Elias' hard snap shot to keep the bonus format scoreless. Williams finally beat Clemmensen with a wrist shot, but Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner pulled the Devils even in the next set.

Blake lifted the Maple Leafs with a backhanded shot after executing a fancy spin move and Toskala watched Rolston's slap shot sail wide as the Maple Leafs earned their longest winning streak of the season.

"Obviously you don't want to look stupid, you might as well try it," Blake said of his move. "If you make it, you make it. If you don't, you don't."

It was a blemish Clemmensen would have liked to have back.

"There is not much you can do as a goalie," Clemmensen said. "(Blake) is coming one way and kind of backs into you, it's legal I guess, and they counted it."

Toskala's biggest save came with one second remaining in overtime, when he blocked Travis Zajac's hard slap shot while on a breakaway.

"I knew he didn't have much time," Toskala said. "I knew he had to get a good shot and I made a good save."

Williams gave Toronto a 2-1 lead with 4:54 left in the second with a wrister from the slot, but Parise forged a tie with 20 seconds remaining in the session while on the power play.

New Jersey fell, 6-5, in a shootout against Toronto on October 29.

"It could be worse, but it's frustrating that it had to come to (a shootout) again tonight," Parise said. "We'll figure them out sooner or later."

Antropov tied the game, 1-1, by converting passes from Kaberle and Matt Stajan 7:24 into the second.

"I'm happy we've got some young guys skating and playing well," Toronto coach Ron Wilson said.

Rupp opened the scoring with a hard wrister from in between the faceoff circles 1:49 into the first.

"We can't be happy whether we got a point or not - we lost the hockey game," Rupp said. "We weren't strong in the second period. They played a strong game and their goaltender was very good tonight."