Leafs' Belfour Undergoes Successful Surgery
-- The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Wednesday that goaltender Ed Belfour underwent successful back surgery on a herniated disc.
The surgery took place today in Los Angeles, California and Ed is expected to begin his rehabilitation upon his return to Toronto next week.
Belfour's most recent appearance came March 10 on the road against the New York Islanders. He posted a record of 22-22-4 this season with a goals against average of 3.29 and a .892 save percentage in 49 games.
Ex-Leaf Haunts Toronto
Brad Boyes has been one of the few bright spots in a season filled with disappointment for the Boston Bruins.
Boyes came through again for the Bruins on Thursday night, scoring the only goal of the shootout for a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
``He has made huge strides in a tremendous rookie season,'' Bruins coach Mike Sullivan said. ``He has taken advantage of our personnel changes and is a big piece of our nucleus going forward.''
Boyes has 24 goals and 41 assists and has thrived on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Marco Sturm.
``My whole point this season was to prove to Boston they made a good choice when they picked me up,'' Boyes said. ``It was nice tonight especially after I started with Toronto and they kind of gave up on me and traded me.''
Boyes was traded to San Jose by Toronto along with Alyn McCauley and a first-round 2003 entry draft pick for Owen Nolan on March 5, 2003. Boston got him from the Sharks for defenceman Jeff Jillson on March 9, 2004.
Mats Sundin salvaged a point for the Leafs when he tied it 2-2 with 13 seconds left in regulation. Toronto trails eighth-place Tampa Bay in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by seven points.
``We kind of stole a point,'' Maple Leafs goalie Jean-Sebastien Aubin said. ``I'd love to win a game in the shootout, but we need to build positives.''
Boston won for the second time in 10 shootouts and improved to 5-11-3 in its last 19.
Sundin, Darcy Tucker and Alexei Ponikarovsky all were stopped by Bruins goalie Tim Thomas in the shootout.
``We're not going to quit and we just have to keep working,'' Tucker said.
Toronto missed a point-blank chance with just over a minute remaining in overtime when Kyle Wellwood was robbed by Thomas.
Aubin started his sixth straight game and made 24 saves for Toronto, which has earned 10 of a possible 12 points in its last six games to keep its faint playoff hopes alive.
Ponikarovsky tied the game a minute into the second when he wristed the puck under the crossbar with Thomas sprawled on the ice.
Glen Murray helped Boston regain the lead when he converted a pass from Shawn McEachern and beat Aubin with 4:16 remaining in the second period. Murray has scored five of his 24 goals this season against Toronto.
Mariusz Czerkawski put Boston ahead 1-0 when he backhanded a shot over Aubin's shoulder with 58 seconds remaining in the first period. Czerkawski was claimed off waivers from Toronto last month.
Toronto mustered only two shots in the first, but followed up with 18 in the second period.
Boston finished the season series 4-2-2 against Toronto.
Notes: Brian Leetch played in his 1200th NHL game . . . Thomas won the 7th Player Award for the Bruins. The award is given to the player who performed beyond expectations as voted by the fans . . . Murray left the game in overtime when he took a slap shot off the head . . . Ponikarovsky has four goals and four assists in the last six games.
Leafs' Mikael Tellqvist Happy to Get His Shot
MONTREAL (CP) -- Mikael Tellqvist already has an Olympic gold medal this season and would like to cap that by leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to an NHL playoff spot.
The 26-year-old goaltender has been thrust into the starting the job due to a back injury that could keep veteran Ed Belfour out for the rest of the season.
It is the first time in Tellqvist's three NHL seasons that he has had so much work and responsibility.
``It's been a fun year so far,'' Tellqvist said Saturday as the Leafs prepared to face the Montreal Canadiens for the second time in three days at the Bell Centre.
``Hopefully, we can make it even better. Getting into the post-season would top it off. Nobody believes we're going to do it, but we're going to.''
It was to be Tellqvist's eighth consecutive start in goal and there likely will be many more. Leafs management apparently does not expect Belfour back before the end of the season, but the players aren't counting him out, including Tellqvist.
``It's always nice to get a chance to play, but I feel for Eddie too, because I know how competitive he is and he's been a big supporter of mine,'' said Tellqvist. ``He actually talked to me after the Carolina game (a 3-2 win on Tuesday) and that meant a lot to me. He's a team guy.
``I learned a lot from him this year. I don't think anybody is sure he's not going to come back, but if that's the case, it's sad for him.''
Added team captain Mats Sundin: ``We're still hoping Eddie will get better and get back as soon as possible, but meanwhile, I think Mikael has learned a lot from Eddie and he can do the job.''
Tellqvist, drafted 70th overall by Toronto in 2000, played three games for the Leafs in 2002-03 and 11 the following year, but spent much of those seasons in the minors. He played for St. John's of the American Hockey League during the NHL lockout.
Now, in his first full season in the NHL, he has been given the No. 1 job at a time when the Leafs are battling desperately for a playoff berth. So far, he likes it.
``When you have a so-so game, you want to get right back in and not think about it for two weeks,'' he said. ``I'll just try to enjoy it as much a possible. Getting a chance to play in the NHL is still surreal.''
Head coach Pat Quinn said Tellqvist was still learning the job and so far has done well. Toronto's defence hasn't been particularly strong this season, making the job that much tougher on the goalies.
``We've had some funny games this year when we give up lots of goals, but it's not always the goaltender you can look at and say `it's his fault,''' said Quinn.
``We haven't been a consistently strong defensive team. Some nights, the goaltending hasn't been good. You can't hide that. But other nights, it's not just our goaltender.''
Tellqvist and Sundin both played for Sweden last month at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Tellqvist mostly backed up New York Ranger Henrik Lundqvist, but he started one game.
He said he keeps his gold medal at his bedside.
``Every morning when I wake up, it's right there,'' he said. ``It's really special for us.''
So was the hero's welcome the team received in Stockholm after the games.
``There were 10,000 fans at the airport waiting for us and, going into the city, there were people standing along the highway waiting for us to come,'' he said. ``All through the city, people were leaning out their windows to cheer us. We went to a big square that was set up for us and there were probably 50,000 people there.''
