CAP'N MATS TAKES CHARGE
By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
If Doug Gilmour gets a standing ovation at Saturday's opening faceoff,
Mats Sundin won't feel like jumping in a hole.
Gilmour's heir as Maple Leafs captain is standing a little taller this
week, as he adjusting to the weight of the letter C on his sweater.
It's not just his five points in the past two home wins, but the reward
for hanging with a conservative game plan on a talent-thin team in a tough
media town.
"You can't compare the way Doug and Mats play, but they're both great
captains," winger Tie Domi said yesterday.
"You saw the way Mats led us on the ice (three points, huge hits and 14
wins in 17 faceoffs Monday against Dallas). He's the franchise and for that
reason, no one wants to win more than him and the guys like myself and
Sergei (Berezin) who've signed long-term deals."
NEW DEAL IN WORKS
Sundin's contract actually is up at the end of the season. He'll likely
look to double his $1.9 million US salary, but is determined the talks
won't become a public issue. Negotiations between agent Mike Barnett and
the Leafs have begun.
"I really like it here," Sundin said yesterday, skirting the Gilmour
issue. "I'm not going to worry about (the money). I'm not exactly sure what
my bonus situation is, but it's tied to us making the playoffs."
It was about this time last year the Leafs tumbled far below .500, never
really contending for a post-season berth despite Gilmour's best efforts.
"Mats is growing into that captain's role," coach Mike Murphy said.
"He's been watching guys like Gilmour and (former captain Wendel) Clark
and making mental notes. He recognizes the leadership and the tradition
that go with the job and that you have to stand up for the team.
"Dougie coming back is a big event, but I don't think it's going to affect
Mats."
Gilmour had a Stanley Cup ring when he came to Toronto and led the Leafs
to two final-four appearances. Sundin's arrival coincided with the Leafs'
tumble down the mountain, which many interpreted as his unwillingness to
pay the price for Stanley.
Domi said it was unfair to compare Sundin and Gilmour based on the
latter's Cup win with Calgary in 1989.
"You look at a guy like Darryl Sittler, a Hall of Famer, a former captain
and a great player here, but he never won a Cup either," Domi said.
With Sundin once more filling the scoresheet at better than a point a
game, the possibility of an extended spring remains alive. His back-to-back
two-goal games were the Leafs' first since Clark did it last February. But
notably, both goals against Dallas came via the backhand, supposedly a lost
art. Sundin has had at least three picture backhand goals this year,
stuffing the puck upstairs with little more than a mousehole to aim at
under the crossbar.
"Backhands are all I can shoot these days it seems," Sundin said, noting
he reverted to it for his empty-net goal against Dallas. "I switched to a
straighter blade a few years ago (his curve is the smallest among the Leafs
forwards) and I can really wind up when I'm in close."
Sittler, who was at the Gardens yesterday for the team Christmas party,
said Sundin may have the best backhand in town since another ex-captain,
Dave Keon.
"Dave's was almost a backhand slapshot," Sittler said. "Errol Thompson had
a great one, too, but Mats even passes the puck hard off his backhand. A
goalie never knows where it's going to go in that situation."
(
geocities.com/Colosseum)