Maple Leafs Top Thrashers in Vesa Toskala’s Return
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.