Hopefully. They usually play well against the Canucks.
The road victory came without injured leading goal-scorer Darcy Tucker (foot), Kyle Wellwood (hip-Flexor/Groin), Alexei Ponikarovsky (Shoulder), Michael Peca (Knee/leg), and Defenceman Ian White, who injured his shoulder in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Toronto's previous game.Paul Maurice said:''That was a huge win for us based on what we're going through. We don't have a lot of veterans in there right now, but the ones that we do played really well tonight. This was our guttiest performance.''
Vancouver is 7th in the Western Conference, with a 24-19-1 record after 44 Games played. Their 49 Points put them in a tie with the Minnesota Wild for 2nd in the Northwest Division, 1 Points back of the Calgary Flames who also play Edmonton tonight in the final game of Hockey Day in Canada. The Oilers trail Vancouver by 3 points.Markus Naslund said:"We’ve been lucky enough to see them grow from great prospects into amazing stars in this league. What they do with the puck is so imaginative and instinctive. It can catch you standing around watching sometimes. They can seemingly create a great scoring chance in the blink of an eye."
CANOE -- SLAM! Sports - Hockey NHL - Toronto - Home sour homeHome sour home
Latest ugly Leafs loss leaves record crowd jeering and Sundin cursing
By TERRY KOSHAN, TORONTO SUN
Perhaps it was just a slip of the tongue, but there was no mistaking Mats Sundin's disgust last night.
After the Maple Leafs' worst home loss of the season -- a 6-1 non-nailbiter to the Vancouver Canucks, one of the weakest offensive clubs in the National Hockey League -- the Leafs captain was asked about the jeers aimed at goalie Andrew Raycroft in the closing minutes.
"It is heartbreaking," Sundin said. "For a guy who plays his heart out and has, in my opinion, had a f-----g pretty solid first half of the season..."
Hearing Sundin swear, especially in front of a bank of microphones, was shocking, but it summed up the Leafs' evening. That the Leafs were defeated by five goals for the first time in 2006-07 on home ice was bad; that it happened in front of the largest crowd, 19,608, to watch a Leafs game in Toronto, (including 100 members of the Canadian Forces) was worse.