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Canwest News Service
TAMPA, Fla. – At times, Niklas Hagman plays hockey as if he were toying with the opposition. He dances around defenders as though the puck were attached to his stick by a string. And his goals usually end up on the weekly highlight reel.
But, too often this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward seems to forget how skilled he is and disappears from view.
Like his team, Hagman does not have a lukewarm setting. He is either red-hot or ice cold.
Wednesday night, Hagman was scorching, scoring twice in a 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the victory, Toronto continues to heat up in the standings with points in each of the last four games. Prior to that, the Leafs had lost four straight in regulation.
Hagman, who recently endured a nine-game goal-scoring drought, has been similarly streaky.
The 29-year-old began the season with six goals in his first eight games. But during that stretch he spent a night in the press box as punishment for not playing up to his potential. With five goals in his last five games – not including the one he scored in an overtime shootout against the Washington Capitals last week – he leads all Toronto players with 11 goals.
If he were able to continue at this pace, he would surpass the career-best 27 goals he scored two years ago with the Dallas Stars.
For now, the Leafs are probably happy that he and the team are finally scoring. Two nights ago, Toronto fired 61 shots against the New York Islanders, but still ended up losing 4-3 in overtime.
Wednesday night, the team was rewarded for its effort.
With minor-league call-up Christian Hanson subbing in for the injured John Mitchell (knee), the Leafs juggled their bottom three lines. The new assignments seemed to help spark their shooters, who took a 2-0 lead in the first period for only the third time this season.
Toronto was leading 1-0 when Hagman split the Lightning defence on a stretch pass from Francois Beauchemin and extended his goal-scoring streak to three games.
Ahead 2-0 in the first period, the Leafs did not have long to enjoy their lead. Andrej Meszaros and Vincent Lecavalier tied the game on goals 30 seconds apart in the first period.
Hagman scored again to put Toronto up 3-2 in the second period. But Tampa Bay's Ryan Malone answered back with his 15th of the season. Steven Stamkos, who picked up his second assist of the game on the play, took sole possession of the team lead in points with 26.
Malone almost had another, but Beauchemin dove back to break up a short- handed breakaway by the Tampa Bay forward. Moments later, a bad Lightning line change resulted in a breakaway for Matt Stajan.
Taking a pass from defenceman Carl Gunnarsson, the Toronto forward snapped a shot over Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki's blocker to give the Leafs a 4-3 lead.
National Post
mtraikos@nationalpost.com
