Toronto takes 1-0 lead in Eastern Finals

Posted 1:53PM on Friday 17th May 2002 ( 23 years ago )

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Toronto Maple Leafs will get what they need most the next two days - rest. And the weary and banged-up Maple Leafs can rest knowing they rose to the moment again, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 Thursday night in the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals. Alexander Mogilny and Jonas Hoglund scored and Curtis Joseph turned away 31 shots as Toronto ruined Carolina's first appearance in the conference finals. ``It's just a tight group in here,'' Mogilny said. ``And it seems like everybody didn't believe in us, and there's still a lot of people that don't believe in us. But there's 25 guys in here, and whoever steps in the lineup - it doesn't matter - they sacrifice their bodies every shift.'' Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Sunday at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, where Carolina had been 5-1 in the playoffs before this loss to the Maple Leafs. The Western Conference final begins Saturday, with Detroit at home against Colorado. Tie Domi and Paul Healey became the eighth and ninth regulars out of Toronto's lineup. Domi, the Toronto enforcer, was scratched with a leg injury and Healey played just two shifts after taking a shot off his knee. Still, Toronto gave the Hurricanes a lesson in grit by killing seven penalties in the first 28 minutes and scoring when it counted while playing its 15th game in 29 days. ``Maybe in the next 48 hours we'll get some miracle cures and get a couple of guys back in the lineup,'' Gary Roberts said. While Toronto rests, Carolina will be working on getting some more skating room. That may prove difficult against the tight-checking Maple Leafs. ``They do a great job collapsing,'' Erik Cole said. ``They really protect the core in the offensive zone. That's part of the fight. You've got to try to get your stick free and get body position and hopefully the puck bounces in front of you.'' Toronto's rugged style was no surprise to Carolina. ``They are a bigger, stronger team than Montreal and a little different style,'' said Jeff O'Neill, who scored Carolina's only goal less than four minutes in on a power play. ``We're going to have to get used to it and battle through out checks and create more traffic.'' But the Hurricanes went 0-for-7 with the man advantage the rest of the way. Carolina entered the game converting 20 percent of its power plays. ``We didn't want to take all those penalties,'' Roberts said. ``We thought we learned our lesson in Game 1 of the last series. We took way too many penalties and if we continue to do that they're going to score on us. We definitely need to be a little smarter in that area.'' Carolina, the Southeast Division champions, won its opening games against New Jersey and Montreal, but now heads into Game 2 trailing a team that won't give in despite injury after injury. ``We've worked long and hard to get here,'' Quinn said. ``Look around. Let's see if we can do it with what we've got. Why can't we? That's an attitude you've got to have.'' After a 1-1 first period, Toronto killed four Carolina power plays before getting one of its own with 7:15 left in the second. Hoglund tipped in a shot from the blue line by Nathan Dempsey for his fourth of the playoffs. The goal was reviewed because the right wing tipped the puck past Irbe with a raised stick, but the 2-1 Toronto lead stood after officials decided the stick was still below the crossbar. Seconds later, Joseph was called for a delay of game penalty as the Hurricanes went back to work with the man advantage. But the Hurricanes failed to get a shot on goal to start the third with 1:23 of power-play time, and Toronto played a tight-checking final 18 minutes to secure its third road win of the postseason. ``I'm telling you, you won't see me at the rink today, that's for sure,'' Mogilny said. ``I need a day off.'' Notes: Tomas Kaberle had five of Toronto's 24 blocked shots. ... The Hurricanes registered at least 30 shots for a seventh straight game. Their best such mark in the regular season was four in a row.

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