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  Saturday, Jan. 29 7:00pm ET
Boo-birds bring out best in Leafs
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

TORONTO (AP) -- Just hanging around paid off Saturday for Steve Thomas and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Thomas' second goal of the game came with 19 seconds left, and Toronto, which overcame a two-goal deficit, beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2.

"I was just going by the net and it hit my stick," Thomas said. "Someone is looking down on me."

Two days ago, Thomas scored the winning goal with one minute left as Toronto beat the New York Rangers. Thomas, limited to one goal in his first 28 games, has five goals in the last three games and 13 for the season.

"He can do no wrong now," Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph, who had 29 saves, said. "That just goes to show you to stay with it, don't change your pattern, keep your chin up."

Bryan Berard and Thomas scored 90 seconds apart early in the third period to tie the game, then teamed up for the decisive goal. Berard's wrist shot from the point was deflected by Thomas past goalie Stephane Fiset.

After getting booed by their fans at various stages of the first and second periods, the Leafs came out strong in the third.

Igor Korolev found Berard behind the Kings' defense and Berard skated in alone on Fiset and beat him with a deke to the backhand at 5:02 for his third goal.

Thomas tied it at 6:32 when he flipped Mats Sundin's pass over Fiset.

"I've maintained a good work ethic and good things were bound to happen," Thomas said. "I've been in the right place at the right time lately and maybe this will lead to a good second half."

"I can't question the effort of our team," Los Angeles coach Andy Murray said. "We played hard and worked hard and we got what we deserve. Eventually, things will start to go our way."

Bryan Smolinski and Jere Karalahti scored in the first period for the Kings.

Los Angeles outshot Toronto 31-21 and the Leafs were 0-for-4 on the power play.

Smolinski opened the scoring 4:11 in when his attempted pass across the slot to Jason Blake deflected off Toronto defenseman Tomas Kaberle's stick past Curtis Joseph.

Los Angeles went ahead 2-0 at 13:36 on a power play when Karalahti's slap shot from the point went through a screen created by Blake. Karalahti, a 24-year-old rookie, has three goals and nine points in 16 games since joining the Kings from Finland. He missed the first month of the season waiting for visa problems to be rectified.

 


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