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  Saturday, Dec. 18 7:00pm ET
CuJo preserves win for Maple Leafs
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

TORONTO (AP) -- With time running out, Sergei Berezin and the Toronto Maple Leafs finally got the best of the injury-plagued Montreal Canadiens.

Nik Antropov
Toronto's Nik Antropov, top, levels Montreal's Patrick Poulin.

Berezin scored on a snap shot from the slot with 3:42 remaining as Toronto beat Montreal 2-1 Saturday night.

Berezin, who has 12 goals this season, took a backhand pass from Mike Johnson and beat goalie Jeff Hackett between the legs.

"Everybody right now is angry because we played a great game," Montreal defenseman Patrice Brisebois said. "We gave it our best."

Curtis Joseph made 21 saves for the Maple Leafs, including two great stops with Montreal on a power play in the final 20 seconds.

"It was a tight game and it possibly could have gone either way," Toronto captain Mats Sundin said. "Six-on-four they're probably going to get some chances. CuJo made some huge saves."

Jim Cummins gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead midway through the second period, and Dimitri Yushkevich tied it on a power play with 3:42 left in the period.

Toronto, which has won its last three games against Montreal, improved its Eastern Conference-leading points total to 44. The Maple Leafs are 19-11-4.

The Canadiens dropped to 11-20-2.

"Definitely, they played a very hard forechecking game," Yushkevich said. "For the players they were missing, they played a very good game. It was a tough game for us."
 


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RECAPS
Calgary 2
Ottawa 1

Buffalo 2
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Philadelphia 4
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Toronto 2
Montreal 1

Carolina 4
Atlanta 2

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Washington 4

Florida 5
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AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Sergei Berezin scores the game-winning goal.
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