Offense Keeps On Rolling

For the second game in a row, the Leafs offense looked as though it might be falling into a groove. The remaining players who had not yet begun to produce, specifically Mats Sundin, got in on the goal scoring as well. Tonight’s game also marked the return of Alex Mogilny and Bryan McCabe to the lineup. Both players made a positive impact on the game: Mogilny recorded two assists and McCabe scored a goal and recorded an assist on Reichel’s empty net goal.

Mogilny, who quite obviously does not look as though he has missed a beat during his five game absence, once again displayed his tremendous talents for patiently handling the puck until a teammate becomes available. On both goals he registered assists on, Mogilny made remarkable passes to open teammates charging to the net looking for the puck. On McCabe’s goal, Mogilny recovered the puck in the corner and navigated his way out to the blueline where he put a backhand saucer pass right on the tape of McCabe’s stick who was wide open on the opposite side of the rink beside the net. McCabe had no trouble tapping in the puck to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead. On Sundin’s first goal of the season, Mogilny, from the centre of the rink, put a pass right on the stick of Sundin who was flying to the net. Sundin was able to squeeze it in the short side on Kolzig.

Mogilny and Sundin were paired together on the same line tonight with Antropov of the left side in hopes of getting Sundin going. Both players scored two points on the night proving coach Pat Quinn’s decision to be a good one. Hopefully Quinn will keep this line together because it seemed tonight that every time they were on the ice, the Leafs looked as though they were poised to score a goal.

McCabe also played very well in his return to the lineup following arthroscopic knee surgery on October 5th. He looked very strong and fit in very well on the blueline. With the addition of McCabe to the defense corps along with established veterans like Kaberle, Marchment and Klee, the Leafs defense corps should be one that is more than capable of getting the job done every night.

On Monday, the Leafs will take on the feel good story of the league this year in the form of the Atlanta Thrashers. After the profound tragedy, those people went through, one cannot help but to cheer for them. The game should be tight as all games the Thrashers have played in this year have been tight.