McCabe blasts the Rangers
Leafs 2 Rangers 1 Leaf provides all the scoring plus solid defence Belfour sharp in turning back Jagr’s dangerous line
It was fitting that Leafs defenceman Bryan McCabe rifled home both goals with booming slapshots. His seventh and eighth markers of the season put an exclamation point on the Toronto team’s strong defensive effort last night.
Facing a sharp and high- flying New York Rangers side, McCabe and his blue- line corps worked as an effective unit with the forward lines in a 2- 1 victory at the Air Canada Centre. The Leafs continued one trend this season in getting outshot 28- 24, but their positioning and constant attention to the socalled gap — the zone between forwards and defence — provided a winning answer. McCabe broke open what was a marvellously played and entertaining game with a powerplay goal late in the first period. His second, also on the power play, whipped past Kevin Weekes in the Ranger net early in the third to hand Toronto its third win in four games, snapping New York’s win streak at three. The ever- dangerous and constantly dazzling Jaromir Jagr showed the Air Canada Centre crowd why he’s one of league’s most dangerous offensive threats. His one- timer from in close — which tied the game in the second period — was a thing of beauty, giving him 18 goals for the season.
Leafs goalie Ed Belfour had absolutely no chance on that shot. But he was brilliant in the third, stopping Jagr twice on a power play and then Martin Straka on a breakaway, to preserve the win.
McCabe, now with 25 points, continues to lead the Leafs in scoring in a breakout season for him that carries with it a mounting case to crack the lineup of the Canadian Olympic team.
Leafs coach Pat Quinn used Monday’s practice to underline defensive responsibilities. Quinn thought it was warranted after a loss in Buffalo Friday followed by an overtime win in Montreal Saturday, two games in which the Leafs were suspect on their overall team defence. Quinn and his players admitted they were largely undeserving of the two points in Montreal off a Habs team that outshot them 35- 24 and controlled much of the first and second periods. The emphasis on defence paid off last night as the Leafs looked better in their own zone. The Leafs had only two minor giveaways in the first period against a Rangers team gunning for its fourth win in succession.
That marked a huge contrast from Saturday night when Toronto was steamrolled in the opening frame, allowing 18 shots. Much of the Leafs’ effectiveness stemmed from some excellent work by the forwards, who covered off laneways to the net.
There was certain danger in Jagr and his linemates Michael Nylander and Straka, who control the puck in the corners and like to set up Jagr for one- timers from in tight. But it was the Leafs who had the more dangerous scoring opportunities in the first period. Matt Stajan found himself with an open net in the third minute off a broken play. The puck went across the crease from linemate Kyle Wellwood to Stajan, who failed to hit a wide- open net. Moments later, Jason Allison was robbed on a stacked- pads save by Weekes, while Alexander Steen couldn’t convert a hard, across-the-crease pass from Mats Sundin. The opportunities, though, kept pouring in for the Leafs. They enjoyed a 1: 17 span with a two- man advantage and McCabe blasted his big slap shot past Weekes at 18: 01.
Everything seemed to be going swimmingly for the Leafs, until Jagr broke up that little party in breathtaking fashion at 6: 14 of the second. Left alone for a moment by Alex Khavanov, Jagr found a hole in the slot. Straka hit him with a flip pass and Jagr snapped the puck past Belfour.