Weekend will decide it all

Club playing with new confidence, says Fitzgerald

MARK ZWOLINSKI
SPORTS REPORTER

You know tonight marks the Leafs' biggest game of the season simply by listening to the players. There is absolutely no other hockey matter on the planet more important to the Leafs than tonight's game in Buffalo against the Sabres. Sure, they play the Senators tomorrow night in Ottawa, but there's a collective mind-lock on Buffalo.

"Looking at the scoreboard (Ottawa at Philadelphia) ... for sure, everyone will be curious," Tom Fitzgerald said of the irresistible temptation to check out-of-town scores. "But the most important thing is to be ready to play against them (the Sabres). Stay focused shift to shift, on what we need to do to rise in the standings."

The race for first place in the Northeast and Atlantic divisions is tight: it all comes down to the last game of the regular season. The Leafs, who have 99 points, could reach 100 points and still fail to secure home-ice advantage. With six teams on pace for 100 points each, the divisional races are wide open. For the Leafs, wins tonight and tomorrow night in Ottawa would accomplish two things: they would clinch home-ice advantage for at least the first round, and they would improve on the current franchise record of 50 points on the road. A win and a loss, or a pair of losses, would change the equation dramatically and would almost guarantee a first-round matchup with Philadelphia.

Heading into this weekend, the Leafs can still win their division and finish second in the Eastern Conference. Or they can finish third in the division and as low as sixth in the conference.



Their first-round opponents could be Ottawa, Philadelphia, New Jersey, or Montreal. Whatever the Leafs manage over the next two nights, they are not entirely masters of their own destiny. Back-to-back games between Boston and New Jersey Saturday and Sunday will go a long way towards determining the seedings and the first-round matchups.

Fitzgerald said the Leafs have a renewed confidence, which dates from March 15, when the Leafs rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the third period to triumph over Buffalo 6-5 in overtime. It was only the Leafs' third win at the HSBC Arena since it opened in 1996.

"This team has changed since the last time we went in there," he said. "We feel good about ourselves and we're winning, and nothing else but a win will do." "We say a lot of things about patience, and lately we've been doing the things we've been talking about. Things like getting the puck out of our zone when we're under pressure ... chipping the puck out and into their zone, there's no shame in that. Let them panic, and let them crack. When it was 2-2 the other night (vs. Atlanta), that's what we did." The Leafs prepared for the Sabres yesterday after two days of relative inactivity in which key players were given time off.

"We have an older team and sometimes getting a few days off is helpful," Mats Sundin said.

"It felt (yesterday) like we haven't skated in a couple of days. But you hope that helps as the playoffs get underway." Coach Pat Quinn raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he welcomed Mikael Renberg back from the injury list (hamstring) and put him in a familiar spot on the Sundin-Gary Roberts line.

Alex Mogilny, who formed a dangerous tandem with Sundin, was paired with Ron Francis and Chad Kilger yesterday. Joe Nieuwendyk's line with Nik Antropov and Alexei Ponikarovsky stays intact as does Robert Reichel with Tie Domi and Fitzgerald.

"It's just balance, I'm trying to get a different look," Quinn said.

"Right before Renberg's injury, that line (Sundin, Renberg, Roberts) was playing well. Renberg and Roberts can do good work down low and free up Mats. Alex (Mogilny) was more off the puck."