CuJo Wins In Edmonton Return
Wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform, Curtis Joseph didn't look any different to the Edmonton Oilers.
Joseph,
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"I didn't want to lose, I can tell you that," said Joseph after making 28 saves. "When Mats scored the third goal, I was happy to see it go in."
Mats Sundin scored twice, including the winner midway through the third period.
Joseph was playing against his former teammates for the first time since leaving Edmonton as an unrestricted free agent and signing a four-year, $24-million deal with the Maple Leafs in July.
"I had a fantastic time when I was here," Joseph said. "I spent 21/2 good years here. It was a tough decision to make during the summer, moving on. That's the business side of it."
Joseph admitted he was nervous before the opening faceoff, but described it as "a healthy nervousness."
The boos were much louder than the cheers when Joseph was introduced before the start of the game.
"I
didn't really notice," Joseph said. "I've been booed in opposing buildings before." Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph was named the game's second star (AP)
He was also booed when he made his first save and when he was announced as the game's second star.
"Cujo would have been my first star," Toronto coach Pat Quinn said. "He was solid."
Garry Valk had the other goal for the Maple Leafs (2-0), who were 2-for-6 on the power play.
Rem Murray and Bill Guerin scored for the Oilers, who are 0-for the first time since 1995, when they started the season with four straight losses.
After a scoreless first period, the Maple Leafs took a 2-0 lead on Sundin's first goal at 4:21 of the second and Valk's power-play goal at 17:46.
Murray scored before the end of the period to make it 2-1.
Joseph made key saves against Dean McAmmond, Mike Grier and Josef Beranek as the Oilers dominated play early in the third period. Guerin got the tying goal at 8:54 of the third.
Sundin got the winner less than two minutes later with Murray in the penalty box for boarding. Igor Korolev slid a pass to Sundin, who wristed a shot from the bottom of the right circle past Oilers goalie Mikhail Shtalenkov.
The Oilers were 0-for-4 on the power play. Shtalenkov finished with 26 saves.
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