start since Nov. 23 and Alexei Ponikarovsky scored two goals 28 seconds apart on
Monday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Atlanta Thrashers 5-2.
Lee Stempniak, Matt Stajan and Mikhail Grabovski also had
goals for the Maple Leafs, who bounced back from a 7-2 loss in Boston on
Saturday. It was the first time Toronto (8-13-7) won a weekday game at home this
season and it came against one of the NHL's best road teams. The Thrashers
entered with an away record of 9-2-1.
Bryan Little and Marty Reasoner scored for Atlanta
(15-8-3).
The Maple Leafs spoiled the return of two former players,
Nik Antropov and Pavel Kubina. Antropov was traded to the Rangers at the 2008-09
trade deadline and Kubina was sent to Atlanta after the season. They had a
forgettable evening, going a combined minus-5.
There was a brief message welcoming them back to the
city, but no video montage, as his been practice of late. Leafs coach Ron Wilson
was disappointed by a warm welcome for a former Leaf earlier this season when
Colorado's Darcy Tucker earned an ovation just before the Avalanche scored.
"I hope we don't have a 20-minute ceremony before their
first power play to get them pumped up," Wilson said Monday morning.
Toskala, who has been sidelined recently with a nagging
groin injury, made a couple of acrobatic saves on Slava Kozlov in the first
period when the game was still scoreless. He later made a pad on a marvelous
chance from rookie Evander Kane.
Thrashers starter Ondrej Pavelec also had a strong
opening 20 minutes before getting shelled during the second period. All five of
Toronto's goals came in the middle frame — the team's most productive of the
season.
Pavelec had to deal with plenty of traffic. Stempniak and
Grabovski each scored from the edge of the crease, Stajan finished off a 3-on-1
and Ponikarovsky got two quick rebound goals from in-close.
Atlanta coach John Anderson sent backup Johan Hedberg in
for the start of the third period.
Little ended Toskala's shutout bid at 6:48 and Reasoner
followed with a goal just 45 seconds later.
Notes
Leafs defenseman Jeff Finger was a healthy
scratch for the ninth time this season while forward Rickard Wallin was back in
after sitting out eight straight. … Antropov spent parts of nine seasons in
Toronto, putting up 291 points (125-166) in 509 games. … Stempniak
registered the 100th assist of his NHL career … Kubina earned an assist on
Little's goal … Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray watched the game from the press
box. … Announced attendance was 19,050.