Leafs Pull Off Outstanding Comeback

By the ten minute mark of the first period, the score was much the same as it was back when these same two teams met up on January 8th: 3-0 Senators. It looked as though the Senators were going to run up the score and beat the Leafs in a commanding fashion. The Leafs showed no discipline and no intensity in the first period allowing the Senators to carry the play. By the time the second period was four minutes old, the Senators held a commanding 4-0 lead and it looked as though the game was all but over.

Then the Leafs took over. As Senators kept dropping like flies from the flu, the Leafs were chipping away at the lead just as quickly. At one point, the Senators only had seven people on their bench as the rest of the players were in the dressing room suffering from the flu. Darcy Tucker started the comeback off by deflecting a pass from Mikael Renberg in off his skate. The next Leaf goal was scored by Mikael Renberg by jamming in a pass from Alexei Ponikarovsky in the slot. Matt Stajan was up next as he came around the net and jammed in a loose puck in the crease to cut the lead to 4-3 at the end of the second period.

By the time Stajan scored to make the score 4-3, it looked as though the Leafs were not going to let this game get away. They came out flying in the third period generating numerous scoring chances until Mats Sundin put the tying goal in with less than five minutes remaining. In overtime, Owen Nolan took a pass from Tomas Kaberle in the high slot and drove it by Patrick Lalime capping off an amazing comeback.

Hopefully the Leafs will be able to use this comeback to build their confidence going into the second half of the season. The all-star break is on over the weekend. The Leafs will get back at it on Tuesday as they travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning.