Leafs, 'Canes Skate To Tie

February 24, 1999 / 11:44 PM EST / AP

Alyn McCauley's heroic performance saved the Toronto Maple Leafs from defeat.

McCauley returned from a knee injury to score a key goal in the Maple Leafs' 2-2 tie with the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.

It was McCauley's first game back after missing 22 with a sprained knee. He scored the tying goal with 5:05 remaining to give the Maple Leafs the tie in their second game at the Air Canada Centre.

What made McCauley's heroics remarkable was his apparent departure from the game with 1:44 remaining in the second period. He collided knee-on-knee with Carolina's Gary Roberts and went down in a heap of pain. McCauley got to his feet, slammed his stick on the ice and hobbled to the Maple Leafs' dressing room.

Back on the Toronto bench to start the third period, McCauley picked up a loose puck in the high slot and one-timed a blast past Hurricanes goalie Arturs Irbe to secure the point.

"I felt pain and my first thought was, oh no, not another eight weeks," said McCauley, who first damaged his left knee ligaments Dec. 30. "The (training staff) iced it up and said to get back out there. I felt the (knee) brace saved my leg."

The game was a battle between Irbe and Curtis Joseph, each of whom made 29 saves.

Mats Sundin also scored for the Maple Leafs, who are now 1-0-1 in the Air Canada Centre. Toronto beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in overtime Saturday.

Keith Primeau and Sami Kapanen scored for Carolina, which outshot Toronto 26-20 through two periods. The Maple Leafs dominated the third period, outshooting the Hurricanes 10-4.

Irbe made big saves off Todd Warriner with the game scoreless in the first period and a sprawling pad stop off Thomas in the first minute of the second period. The Maple Leafs peppered Irbe on the power play midway through the third period before McCauley finally connected for his eighth goal of the season.

"Artie's just become Mr. Consistency for us and we know what kind of year Cujo (Joseph) is having for them," said Carolina center Keith Primeau. "I thought a 2-2 was indicative of the way both teams played."

Joseph was equally sharp when tested by the Hurricanes in the first two periods. His best save was a toe stop on a second-period shot by Martin Gelinas that was labeled for the bottom corner. Joseph also foiled Kapanen on a point-drive blast in overtime.

"They're two good goaltenders and two teams that work very hard," said Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice.

Carolina took the play to Toronto in the first two periods before the Maple Leafs started pressing for the equalizer.

"Carolina is a team that likes to take you to the outside and we're supposed to take that room," Toronto coach Pat Quinn said. "But then we started to move the puck in a fashion that you have to (to be successful.)"