Leafs Lose Second Straight To Detroit In Pre-Season Finale
Posted October 1, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The next time the Toronto Maple Leafs take to the ice at Air Canada Centre, it will actually matter.
The Buds wrapped up their pre-season schedule Sunday night with the Detroit Red Wings at the ACC, in what ended as a controversial 3-2 shootout win for the visitors.
More importantly however, the game gave fans and opposition a clue as to what head coach Paul Maurice will do with his lines come Wednesday’s opener against the Ottawa Senators.
Matt Sundin centred Alexei Ponikarovsky and Kyle Wellwood, Mike Peca was between Chad Kilger and Alex Steen, Matt Stajan had Alexander Suglobov and Wade Belak on his wings and John Pohl centred Darcy Tucker and Nik Antropov.
Of course none of that is set in stone, especially since Antropov left the game with an injury to his right leg.
The Leafs got their goals from Sundin and new defenceman Pavel Kubina, while Kris Draper and former Leaf Danny Markov scored for Detroit. Draper’s goal was short-handed, the second such marker Toronto’s given up in as many nights. Detroit handled the Leafs easily in both, but the good news for Toronto is the two Original Six teams meet just once during the season.
In the extra frame, Sundin and Jiri Hudler traded shootout goals and after Suglobov shot wide of Chris Osgood, Henrik Zetterberg dazzled Andrew Raycroft with a double move before dragging the puck across the goal line with one hand. Moments later Wellwood missed a chance to counter, and the game was over.
Defensively, Maurice went with pairings of Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle, Kubina and Andy Woznieski, and Hall Gill and Ian White. In the penalty kill department, Peca and Kilger piloted things.
The loss sealed Toronto’s exhibition record at 3-5.
