Maple Leafs 4, Flames 2
CALGARY, Alberta -- A decade-long drought is finally over.
With Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the host Calgary Flames, the Toronto Maple Leafs earned a win at the Scotiabank Saddledome for the first time in a span of 3,960 days.
Joffrey Lupul, James van Riemsdyk, Mason Raymond and Paul Ranger each scored for Leafs, but goaltender Jonathan Bernier was the undisputed star of the show as Toronto posted its first victory in Calgary since Dec. 27, 2002.
Matt Stajan and David Jones had the only goals on Bernier, who finished with 41 stops in a sensational performance.
The Maple Leafs (10-4-0) can thank their goaltending tandem for back-to-back victories in Alberta. James Reimer posted a 43-shot shutout in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers, while Bernier was just as good against the Flames (5-5-2), who held a 43-22 edge in shots.
Lupul opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at the 7:56 mark of the opening period, scoring from the doorstep just as Dennis Wideman's slashing penalty expired and before the Flames defenseman could get back to assist his teammates.
Toronto's second tally was a heartbreaker, with Van Riemsdyk racing down the wing in a short-handed situation and finding a hole in Flames goalie Karri Ramo's protective padding just four seconds before the first intermission.
Stajan trimmed the lead just moments after watching teammate Derek Smith tumble face-first into the boards after a dangerous hit by Maple Leafs right-winger Carter Ashton. Flames defenseman Shane O'Brien seemed to spark his squad when he dropped the gloves with Ashton, and Stajan scored from the slot just seven seconds later on Calgary's 31st shot of the night.
Raymond added an insurance marker six minutes into the third period, capitalizing on David Clarkson's rebound.
With 6:21 remaining, Kris Russell's shot from the point was deflected by Jones as the Flames -- on their 41st attempt on net -- trimmed Toronto's lead again.
That was as close, though, as they would get before Ranger sealed the deal with an empty-netter.
Ramo made 18 saves for the Flames.
NOTES: Toronto's former GM, Brian Burke, now the president of hockey operations in Calgary, did not attend Wednesday's game. ... Flames C Joe Colborne, who was acquired from the Maple Leafs in a Sept. 28 swap, faced his former team for the first time. Colborne appeared in only 16 games over parts of three seasons with Toronto, but has already logged 11 regular-season outings for the Flames ... The Flames are without the services of two of their key contributors. The team announced Tuesday that D Mark Giordano -- named the new captain prior to the season -- is out six to eight weeks with a broken ankle, while RW Lee Stempniak is listed as week-to-week with a fractured foot ... The Maple Leafs have injury issues of with their own, with C Tyler Bozak (lower-body), D Mark Fraser (knee) and LW Nikolai Kulemin (ankle) all out of the lineup ... The Flames surprisingly made C Mikael Backlund a healthy scratch, instead beefing up their forward lines with the insertion of RW Tim Jackman. ... The Flames are back in action Friday with a visit from the Detroit Red Wings. Vancouver is the next stop for the Maple Leafs, who will face off against the Canucks in Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada clash.
