Leafs 5
Isles 2
TORONTO – On Michael Peca’s first step on the ice during yesterday’s morning skate here, where he sustained a severe knee injury on Darcy Tucker’s infamous low hit and where the Islanders’ season ended after seven white-knuckle playoff games against the Leafs, he fell flat on his face.
Several hours later, the Islanders did just the same, putting up a stinker uncharacteristic of the bitter rivalry that exists between these two teams in a revolting 5-2 loss, their fifth straight defeat here.
Unlike Peca, who ate the ice because he said he intentionally left his skate guard on to amuse the capacity morning crowd of school children, the rest of his teammates appeared to have no traction on the Air Canada Centre rink.
Despite all the excitement and emotion that the game was played with, through an unsuccessful Mats Sundin penalty shot attempt, early and fierce hitting at both ends and all the trimmings you would expect as they crept behind Maple Leaf lines, the Islanders were horribly sloppy in their own end.
Garth Snow, making his 10th straight start, was rock solid early as the defense allowed too many chances down low and gave the Leafs too much room for bang-bang plays. Snow was there making a tumbling stop on Mikael Renberg’s point blank attempt, just as he went post-to-post to rob Robert Reichel. But after Claude Lapointe’s first goal since before Christmas, the Islanders caved in the final five minutes of the second period as the defense worsened.
“Defensively we have to make better decisions,” said Roman Hamrlik, who was on the ice for all but Toronto’s final goal.
Three Toronto scores in a 3:45 span to close out the second put the Leafs up 3-1 and took the Isles virtually out of the game after a Jason Blake disallowed goal deflected off his elbow. Two came from Sundin from Snow’s right post and Reichel was left all alone in the slot for a dazzling spin-o-rama in the low slot.
The third period didn’t get much better for the Islanders, who showed less and less fight as the game wore on. Actually, there were no fights – Dave Scatchard and Travis Green dropped the gloves but were broken up – as the game took on the Canada Dry atmosphere of this building.