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  Tuesday, Jan. 11 7:00pm ET
Korolev's pair paces Maple Leafs
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

BOSTON (AP) -- When Igor Korolev scores, Toronto wins. It's been as simple as that so far this season.

Dmitri Khristich, Don Sweeney
Boston's Don Sweeney, left, gives former teammate Dmitri Khristich a lift while finishing a check.

The Maple Leafs forward scored twice, including the game-winner, and Dmitri Khristich had two assists against the team that walked away from him to lead Toronto to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins.

The win improved Toronto's record to 8-0 when Korolev has scored.

"I don't have an explanation for that," he said. "But it's really nice. I'm not complaining."

Curtis Joseph stopped 33 shots for the Maple Leafs, who won for just the second time in six games. Korolev scored Toronto's first goal, then added the game-winner 8:31 into the third period.

"I like the way he plays, whether he's scoring or not," Toronto coach Pat Quinn said. "If he kicks it in, it's a bonus."

Rob Tallas made 23 saves for the Bruins, who are winless (0-4-2) in six games and have won just once in 11 games. Anson Carter scored to tie it 2-2, but missed twice in the final minute after Tallas was pulled for an extra skater.

The Bruins were without Jason Allison, their top scorer the last two seasons, who said Tuesday that he will miss the rest of the season to have surgeries on his left thumb and right wrist. Sergei Samsonov has missed three games with a strained knee.

"We're in a tough hole with our best player (Allison) missing," defenseman Ray Bourque said. "But we can't feel sorry for ourselves. We all have to step up."

Bruins coach Pat Burns, whose team would miss the playoffs if the season ended Tuesday, did get a little sympathy from Quinn.

"Let's face it, they're decimated with injuries. They've lost some important guys," he said of reports that Burns' job was in jeopardy. "In my mind, it's really unfair what's happening now."

Khristich won a $2.8 million arbitration award from the Bruins this fall but the team "walked away" from the decision -- the first time an NHL team took advantage of the right negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement that ended the 1994-95 lockout.

He signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the Maple Leafs and scored a goal in his first game against his former team Nov. 11. But Toronto lost that one, 4-3 in overtime.

The Maple Leafs were able to win this time, stopping their slide with two quick goals early and Korolev's tie-breaker late.

"It's a good feeling," Khristich said. "But mostly because we started on the right note for a road trip."

Korolev took a pass from Khristich, just as a Bruins penalty was expiring, and flipped the puck over Tallas to make it 1-0 at 11:17 of the first. Just 101 seconds later, Khristich found Mats Sundin, who put it through Tallas' legs to make it 2-0.

Steve Heinze chipped the rebound of a Marquis Mathieu shot over Joseph to make it 2-1 early in the second. Boston tied it just 23 seconds into the third when Carter tipped P.J. Axelsson's cross into the net.

 


ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard

Toronto Clubhouse

Boston Clubhouse


Bruins' Allison out for season, needs surgeries on hands


RECAPS
Toronto 3
Boston 2

Philadelphia 4
Carolina 3

Montreal 3
Detroit 0

New Jersey 6
Tampa Bay 5

Colorado 4
Nashville 2

Dallas 3
Edmonton 2

Ottawa 4
Los Angeles 3

St. Louis 5
San Jose 2

AUDIO/VIDEO
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 Igor Korolev scores the easy goal for Toronto.
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