Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) About three weeks after Tomas Kaberle expected it, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally got their first win of the season.

First win of season: Toronto's Jonas Gustavsson defends against Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf on Monday night. The Maple Leafs beat the Ducks 6-3. AP PHOTO

Niklas Hagman scored three of Toronto's five power-play goals, and the Maple Leafs finally slowed the worst start in franchise history with a 6-3 victory over the last-place Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.

Kaberle scored a career-high five points and Lee Stempniak added a career-best four as the Maple Leafs (1-7-1) recouped some pride for the Original Six franchise, which stumbled to that miserable start with all-around faulty play. After improved efforts in the past two games, Toronto got it going with outstanding special-teams work — a particular source of pride for Kaberle, the longtime Leafs defenseman.

"It is a big relief," Kaberle said. "It feels good to get the win. We never thought we would go (winless) until late October. . . . Every line played simple hockey. Most of the night, we played in their zone. We used their penalties to our advantage, and that makes the game simple."

Jonas Gustavsson made 25 saves to earn his first NHL victory in his first start in nearly three weeks as Toronto repeatedly capitalized on Anaheim's 17 penalties and all-around sloppy play. The Maple Leafs scored four goals while Anaheim had just three skaters on the ice, including three two-man advantage goals.

Kaberle had a goal and four assists, while Stempniak contributed a goal and three assists. Matt Stajan added three assists.

Rangers 5, Coyotes 2

In New York, Marian Gaborik scored two goals and added an assist as the Rangers beat Phoenix.

New York netted two goals on five shots in the first period and two more on only six more attempts in the second to chase goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.

Canadiens 3, Islanders 2 (OT)

In Montreal, Roman Hamrlik scored 1:32 into overtime to lift the Canadiens past New York for their fourth straight win.

Blackhawks 3, Wild 1

In Chicago, Patrick Kane scored a spectacular third-period goal just 3:25 after Minnesota had made it a one-goal game and the Blackhawks left the Wild winless in eight road games.

ATLANTA (AP) The Atlanta Thrashers have a month to preview their possible future without star forward Ilya Kovalchuk.

Kovalchuk, the Thrashers' captain and one of the league's top scorers, is expected to miss three to five weeks with a broken bone in his right foot, the team announced on Monday.

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