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Thursday, Mar. 9 9:00pm ET
Second-period eruption powers Leafs | |||||
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BOX SCORE
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are getting closer to the top of the Eastern Conference. Glenn Healy made 30 saves and also had an assist Thursday night in the Maple Leafs' 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Toronto, outshot 32-20, got goals from six players en route to its fourth straight win and eighth in nine games. The Maple Leafs are within three points of conference-leading New Jersey. "Top spot is there for us if we continue to do the right things, but we're not making that our central focus," Healy said. "This is the time of year when you depend on certain people and you get the job and you peak for that postseason because that's what you work all season for." Yanic Perreault, Mats Sundin, and former Flames player Jonas Hoglund each had a goal and an assist for Toronto. Tie Domi, Steve Thomas and Sergei Berezin also scored. Derek Morris and Jason Wiemer had goals for the Flames, who finished an eight-game homestand 3-3-2. The Flames, in ninth place in the Western Conference, trail the San Jose Sharks for the final playoff spot by three points. Calgary plays at San Jose on Tuesday night. For the second straight game, the Flames' undoing came in the second period. After giving up four second-period goals Tuesday in an 8-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the Flames had an even tougher time against Toronto. The Leafs scored five goals in the period on just 11 shots to turn a 1-1 tie into a 6-2 lead. Hoglund made it 2-1 just 36 seconds in, when his centering pass banked in off the leg of defenseman Darryl Shannon. Healy was credited with an assist. Thomas added a power-play goal at 3:14 to make it 3-1. "They got a couple lucky goals and things came unraveled," Wiemer said. "We don't want to run and gun with the Leafs but that's obviously what we ended up doing and the score shows it." At about the four-minute mark, Jarome Iginla fired a shot from the top of the crease that Healy gloved on the goal line as he slid across the net. Referee Dave Jackson was stationed behind the net and chose not to review the play. Shortly after play resumed, fans became angry when video screens repeatedly showed a replay in which it appeared the puck was gloved over the line. The Flames argued with Jackson and second referee Paul Stewart, but the goal stood. "We're not sure how questionable it is. When you look at it on the replay, it's in the net," Wiemer said. "We're at home and you think somebody would have called downstairs, but we didn't get that and it's a little bit frustrating." The Maple Leafs then blew the game open when Perreault scored at 9:00 and Sundin made it three goals on four shots beating Fred Brathwaite at 10:26. Making his 12th straight start, Brathwaite struggled for the second game in a row, allowing 13 goals. "When he's playing well, you guys want me to send him to the All-Star game and induct him to the Hall of Fame," coach Brian Sutter said. "Now, when pucks are going in the net, you guys want me to be critical and I won't. He's like everybody else." After Wiemer scored to make it 5-2 at 14:24, Nik Antropov put Berezin in on a clear breakaway for his 19th goal with 1:46 left in the second. "Should he have stopped the pucks? Yes, he should have stopped the pucks," Sutter said of Brathwaite. "That's what goaltenders are paid for and that's not being critical. That's being very honest and up front." | ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard Toronto Clubhouse Calgary Clubhouse RECAPS Ottawa 7 Pittsburgh 0
Toronto 6 AUDIO/VIDEO   Jonas Hoglund's pass goes off the defender's skate for a goal.avi: 493 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1   | |||||