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  Thursday, Mar. 16 7:30pm ET
Berezin, Sundin KO Red Wings
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

DETROIT (AP) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are beginning to realize that they have to persevere without injured defenseman Bryan Berard.

Mats Sundin scored on a power play 1:38 into overtime as Toronto beat Detroit 4-3, snapping the Red Wings' season-high eight-game unbeaten streak on Thursday night.

Tie Domi
Tie Domi, right, got a big kick out of Sergei Berezin's tying goal with only 8.2 seconds remaining in Detroit.
"We were a lot sharper tonight, right from the start," Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn said. "That could've been any number of reasons, but we had a lot of jump and fortunately we got a win."

Sergei Berezin, who had two goals and an assist, scored with 8.2 seconds left in the third to send it to OT. Dmitri Khristich also scored for Toronto.

The Maple Leafs have won six of their last seven games. The loss was a 5-2 setback Wednesday against Chicago in their first game since Berard suffered a sight-threatening injury when he was accidentally hit in the right eye with a stick last Saturday at Ottawa.

The Maple Leafs are all wearing Berard's number 34.

"I think a lot of us had Bryan on our minds," Sundin said. "On top of that, it was a big game for us. We showed character to win the game."

Steve Yzerman had two of three straight third-period goals that rallied Detroit from a 2-0 deficit. Brendan Shanahan also scored for the Red Wings, who are three points behind St. Louis in the battle for first place in the Central Division and the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Sundin scored the game-winner 46 seconds after Detroit's Chris Chelios took a double-minor for high sticking Igor Korolev in the first minute of overtime.

Steve Thomas started the play by making a pass to Tomas Kaberle, who broke in 2-on-1 and drew defenseman Larry Murphy to him before passing to Sundin for an easy score.

"When there's a 4-on-3, there's so much room for Sundin and Thomas," Yzerman said. "They create so many things, it's tough to kill penalties in that situation."

The Red Wings protested that defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was high-sticked by Sundin before his shot, but the goal stood.

"I wasn't sure what hit me," Lidstrom said. "I didn't know it was a high stick until I got back into the (dressing) room."

Detroit led 3-2 after Yzerman's second goal with 6:39 left in the third period.

But with the Maple Leafs skating 6-on-5 in the final seconds, Berezin slipped the puck past goalie Chris Osgood to end a wild scramble in front of the net. Detroit argued the goal, saying Sundin interfered with Osgood in the crease.

Replays showed Sundin was in the crease after hitting Detroit's Steve Duchesne, but Sundin was pushed farther in by Shanahan.

"He (Shanahan) tried to knock the net off by pushing me into the crossbar," Sundin said. "I was confident it was a good goal. I couldn't get out of there."

Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph had 36 saves and Osgood 23.

"It's disappointing, but after they scored the first two goals maybe we should be happy with the point," Lidstrom said. "That's a really strong team. But it's kind of disappointing when you're that close to winning."

The teams delayed playing the final 4:31 of the first period when glass behind the Toronto goal cracked, the second such delay in the game.

Berezin scored 2:41 after play resumed when he broke in with a bouncing pass from Gerald Diduck and easily beat Osgood.

Khristich made it 2-0 on a power play 12:57 into the second. He took a short pass from Berezin near the crease and backhanded it in before Osgood could recover.

Shanahan scored a wraparound goal on a power play 16 seconds into the third.

Yzerman tied it on another power play at 9:45 when he took a pass from Sergei Fedorov in the right circle and blasted a shot past Joseph, who was screened by Tomas Holmstrom.

Yzerman then split two defensemen at the Toronto line before beating Joseph again to put Detroit ahead.
 


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NHL Scoreboard

Toronto Clubhouse

Detroit Clubhouse


Leafs' Berard requires more surgery on eye


RECAPS
NY Islanders 4
Atlanta 2

Toronto 4
Detroit 3

Montreal 1
Philadelphia 1

Pittsburgh 4
Florida 2

Chicago 5
Boston 4

Nashville 2
Colorado 2

Vancouver 6
Buffalo 3

AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Mats Sundin scores the game-winner for the Maple Leafs.
avi: 805 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Steve Yzerman beats Curtis Joseph for the goal.
avi: 523 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Sergei Berezin gets rewarded for his patience.
avi: 879 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1