leaffan's Journal

Leafs, Sundin article
This will be something to look back on. Hopefully we're a hell of a lot better than the past two seasons.

The Toronto Star

(2007-09-11)

Sports

; Optimistic Leaf captain thinks parts of puzzle are in place to make run at Cup

The contrast remains stunning, no matter how often it is repeated.

At the end of each season, an ashen Mats Sundin, showing the wear of another campaign at the helm of the perpetually struggling Maple Leafs, cleans out
his locker and meets with the media; looking like he is carrying the world rather than readying to fly halfway around it.

A few months later, the captain arrives back from Sweden, absolutely beaming. Fit, trim and buoyant, he exudes optimism about how this could be Toronto's
year to win it all; displaying a remarkable empathy with the team's long- suffering but ever-hopeful fans.

So there he was yesterday at Lakeshore Lions Arena, looking younger than his 36 years, laughing and joking with reporters in a relaxed manner that will
likely be forgotten come February.

"A couple months rest, I think, that's what does it," Sundin said of his youthful demeanour. The arrival of the captain along with defencemen Tomas Kaberle
and Bryan McCabe makes it virtually a full complement at the club's practice facility in advance of Thursday's medicals.

"It's a great time of year, everybody meets up. There's excitement; new players, new faces and a new chance to do something good."

This is a Leafs team, however, that is running out of mulligans. While the Stanley Cup drought has passed the four-decade mark, the bigger concern for this
squad is that it has missed the playoffs in both of its post-lockout seasons.

The pressure will be ratcheted up this season, especially with Sundin on a one-year deal and general manager John Ferguson yet to receive an extension beyond
this year. Add in the fact that most of the key players are well into their 30s - including off-season free-agent acquisition, 34-year-old Jason Blake
- and it's easy to understand that this entire experiment might be blown up if the Leafs don't show immediate and dramatic improvement.

"Obviously, we're not getting any younger and neither is Mats. He's back for another kick at the can so we'd like to do something this year," said the 32-
year-old McCabe. "The window of opportunity is closing."

True to his September form, Sundin feels the pieces are in place to win a Stanley Cup this season.

"Just the way the NHL is nowadays, you have a great chance to win. We have as a good a chance to win as any other team starting the season," he said. "Obviously,
we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I think we have a good enough team."

Also true to form, Sundin refused to say if he wants Blake on his wing. He's savvy enough to know that such a public declaration could blow up into a season-
long story. The centre said he'd be content to remain with Nik Antropov and Alexei Ponikarovsky instead of the team's new 40-goal man if that's what coach
Paul Maurice decides.

"I don't really care," he said. "I thought me and Alexei and Nikky had a good chemistry for the second half of last season. I'd love to play with Jason,
too. He's a veteran guy. We'll see how Paul wants to use us."

No matter who Sundin plays with, he is on the verge of some significant milestones as a Leaf, numbers he failed to achieve while scoring just once in his
final 20 games last season.

Sundin's next goal will be his 389th in a Toronto uniform, tying him with Darryl Sittler for the all-time franchise lead. He is also seven points behind
Sittler's 916 points for the most as a Leaf.

"We need a good start. I'm not worried about the records. I'm really not. My concern is to be a playoff team," he said. "We're going to have a lot of games
on home ice (to start the season) and points and goals are going to come; it will take care of itself.

"You miss the playoffs two years in a row and everyone is going to be looked at. We all have the same pressure to perform and make sure we're a playoff
team at the end of the season. That should be our only goal."

Paul Hunter

- End of Article -

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