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  Tuesday, Feb. 1 7:30pm ET
Clark rallies Leafs with two goals
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Wendel Clark gave a performance reminiscent of his past times in a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater.

Clark, who rejoined the Maple Leafs as a free agent Jan. 14, had two goals, including the go-ahead tally with 5:45 left in the third period, as the Maple Leafs rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 Tuesday night.

"It's always nice to get a couple, but it's always better to go out and get the win," Clark said. "Going into the third period, we didn't know what was going to happen. It's always nice to help out in more than a physical presence."

Clark scored his first Toronto goal since April 4, 1998, on a three-on-one break at 9:23 of the third that cut Tampa Bay's lead to 3-2.

"He's that kind of guy ... he can probably look like he's not doing much for much of the night," Toronto coach Pat Quinn said. "His history has been that he has a great shot and knows where to put the puck."

After Mats Sundin's backhander tied it, Clark put the Maple Leafs ahead with a waist-high deflection of Tomas Kaberle's shot.

"It got to 3-2, and it just seemed like they kept coming," Tampa Bay goalie Dan Cloutier said. "We knew they'd come out in the third period and they took it to us."

Igor Korolev added an empty-net goal to complete the Maple Leafs' four-goal third period.

"They showed why they're a great team," Tampa Bay coach Steve Ludzik said. "I know our guys are probably disappointed and shocked ... like they were hit with a sledgehammer."

Sundin also had two assists and has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) during a seven-game point streak. Jonas Hoglund had three assists and has nine points in five games.

Maple Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph stopped 21 shots, and improved to 13-2-2 against Tampa Bay.

Toronto has beaten the Lightning nine straight times overall and the last nine meetings at Tampa Bay.

Mike Sillinger picked up his team-leading 16th goal in the first period for the Lightning, who have won just twice in the past 22 games (2-18-2).

Second-period goals by Pavel Kubina -- on the power play -- and Chris Gratton gave the Lightning a 3-0 lead.

"We were sloppy, we were outworked early on ... we were in a fog out there," Quinn said. "They pressed and got caught for that three-on-one, and you could see something happen to them."

Steve Thomas extended his goal-scoring streak to four-games -- totaling six goals -- with a second-period score that made it 3-1.

Tampa Bay went 9½ minutes without a shot in the first period before getting three -- including Sillinger's goal -- in a 21-second span.

Toronto enforcer Tie Domi returned after missing seven games with a rib injury.

 


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