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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Don't write off the Toronto Maple
Leafs, not the way Curtis Joseph is playing in goal.
Tomas Kaberle scored on a slap shot with 1:35 to play and Joseph
turned in another great game, making 34 saves, as the Maple Leafs
beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 Wednesday to even their Eastern Conference
semifinal series 2-2.
|  | | Wendel Clark, right, and Darcy Tucker celebrate teammate Tomas Kaberle's game-winning goal in front of Devils goalie Martin Bordeur. |
"They have been getting a lot of shots in this series and he
has been battling," Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin said of
Joseph. "He makes the key saves and motivates us. There is no
doubt he is the key to this team."
Jonas Hoglund and Darcy Tucker also scored as the Maple Leafs
rebounded from a 5-1 embarrassment on Monday and a demoralizing
tying goal by Claude Lemieux late in the third period to tie the
best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Saturday night at Toronto.
"We had a lot to prove as a team and we responded well," said
Joseph, who stole the opening game of this series making 32 saves
in a 2-1 win.
Scott Gomez, set up by Lemieux, had the other goal for New
Jersey, which lost for only the second time in eight postseason
games.
"They played their best game of the series," Devils center
Bobby Holik said. "We had the opportunity to get ahead of them and
we didn't do it. They're a talented team and we gave them life."
Kaberle's first goal of the playoffs actually was the CPR for
the Leafs, and it came on his second good chance in the closing
minutes. His back-hander from the left circle was stopped and Devils
defenseman Scott Niedermayer tried to clear the puck. It came back
to Kaberle, and his shot from above the circle beat Martin Brodeur.
"It was a little wobbly," Brodeur said. "It was hard to say
but I think it hit off someone and got inside the post. It's a
tough way to lose. We had a lot of chances."
Lemieux tied it with 5:46 to go on a somewhat fluky goal. Joseph
could not control Lemieux's slap shot on a 2-on-1 break and the
puck fell at the goalie's feet. As Lemieux went to poke it in
Joseph accidentally kicked it in.
"I saw his eyes light up and he was going to jab it, so I
thought I would just go into a butterfly and stop his stick, but
unfortunately it went off my heel," Joseph said.
The Devils had a flurry of good chances right after the goal but
Joseph either stopped every one or his defense deflected the pucks
away.
"Cujo made a huge difference," Brodeur said. "We had a lot of
chances against him and he made some key saves. He's the reason
this series is tied."
The win returned the home-ice advantage to Toronto in what is
now a best-of-three series.
"We're a lot more confident now than we were after Game 3,"
Sundin said. "Certainly we showed we can play with the Devils and
beat them, and in their building as well, and I think we can play
better."
Toronto entered the third period with a 2-1 lead with all the
goals coming in the first period.
Tucker, who scored the game-winner in Game 1, almost had a
second. The Maple Leafs did a great job of keeping the puck in the
Devils zone. Igor Korolev won a battle along the left boards with
Alexander Mogilny and Sergei Berezin got the loose puck in the
circle. He skated toward Brodeur and sent a cross-ice pass that
Tucker let go through his legs before taking the puck and
back-handing it just over Brodeur's glove as he lay in the crease at
16:02.
Hoglund tied made it 1-1, taking advantage of a rare lapse in
the Devils' defense and a big hole between Brodeur's pads. Steve
Thomas and Sundin made quick passes that allowed Hoglund to split
defensemen Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski, and he ripped a
rolling puck through the five-hole.
Toronto was a little shaky coming into the game, and the start
didn't bode well for them.
Having lost the last two, the Maple Leafs fell behind 1-0 less
than two minutes in.
Tucker picked up a foolish penalty for cross-checking John
Madden 31 seconds after the opening faceoff. Gomez, whose game has
picked up since being nearly benched in Game 2, capitalized for the
Devils at 1:41, putting the rebound of Lemieux's shot into an open
net after Joseph could not control the shot from the right point.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
RECAPS
Colorado 3
Detroit 2
Toronto 3
New Jersey 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Tom Kaberle scores the game-winner.
avi: 591 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Claude Lemieux scores on the 2-on-1.
avi: 971 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Darcy Tucker beats Martin Brodeur with the backhand.
avi: 821 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Darcy Tucker says Wednesday night's win was important.
wav: 101 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Tucker knows his role on the team.
wav: 146 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Coach Larry Robinson and the Devils will have to win it on the road.
wav: 144 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Coach Larry Robinson felt this was the Devils' worst effort.
wav: 112 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
It was an important win for Leafs' coach Pat Quinn.
wav: 82 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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