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Recap: Canucks , Maple Leafs
Date: December 17, 2011 7:00 PM EDT
  

TORONTO (AP) - A little motivation can turn Alexandre Burrows into an awfully dangerous hockey player.

The Vancouver wing scored a key goal and set up linemate Daniel Sedin for another Saturday night as the Canucks wrapped up their road trip in style with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Burrows is a Montreal native who doesn't hide his dislike of the Maple Leafs, a team he's dominated during his NHL career. The agitator has 13 points in nine career games against Toronto - all of them Vancouver victories.

``The Leafs have always been a team I hated as a kid,' Burrows said. ``For some reason it feels good to play here - it's a great building, the fans are great, it's nice to play. I know a lot of fans in Vancouver don't like this team. ... It just makes it extra special.'

The Maple Leafs simply couldn't find an answer for Vancouver's top line of Burrows, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin, who returned to the lineup after sitting out Thursday in Carolina with back spasms. That unit kept possession of the puck much of the night and accounted for the two most important goals of the game.

Burrows found Daniel Sedin with a perfect pass late in the second period to put Vancouver ahead 3-2 before scoring himself with a perfectly placed wrist shot to make it 4-2 with less than 6 minutes remaining.

``He's the reason we are good as a line,' Daniel Sedin, last season's NHL scoring champion, said of Burrows. ``He's the reason why we're producing offensively. He does a lot of the dirty work and like I said, I hope everyone gives him enough credit. We certainly do.'

Roberto Luongo had a strong performance with 26 saves while Chris Higgins, Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen added goals for the Canucks, who appear to have their groove back with points in 11 of 13 games.

Joffrey Lupul, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel scored for Toronto.

``We're right where I expected we would be,' Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson said. ``We've just got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. It's as simple as that.'

Even though the Leafs were playing for the second straight night and Vancouver was wrapping up a five-game road trip, two of the NHL's better-skating teams played at a high pace. The back-and-forth game featured quality scoring chances at both ends and excellent goaltending despite all the scoring.

Luongo and Jonas Gustavsson traded eye-popping saves in the first period - with the Canucks goalie hearing chants of ``Luuuu!' from the large cluster of Vancouver fans at Air Canada Centre when he got his glove on Colby Armstrong's shot before his counterpart came across the crease to rob Burrows soon after.

``Our guys really wanted to have this game tonight,' Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. ``I thought we did a real good job. I mean, that team has a tremendous amount of speed and skill up front and they've got three (defensemen) that love to jump up in the attack. ... It was a good game.'

Despite dropping their second game in two night, the Leafs were encouraged that they were able to compete with the Canucks.

``We were right there,' Lupul said. ``We're down one with a couple minutes left. There's no question in our minds we can play with that team. ... We were close but we weren't quite there tonight.'

After Higgins and Lupul traded goals in the first period, Raymond put Vancouver ahead 2-1 just 49 seconds into the second. He picked up a loose puck in the high slot and beat Gustavsson for his third goal in seven games since returning from the serious back injury sustained during last season's Stanley Cup final.

Raymond is thrilled to be contributing after spending so much time on the sidelines.

``If I can continue at this pace, I'd be very happy,' he said.

After Bozak tied the game, Burrows and the Sedins took center stage. The backhand pass Burrows found Daniel Sedin with late in the second period showed he can be a playmaker as well as a scorer.

As far as he's concerned, it couldn't have come in a much better setting.

``I grew up in Montreal and when you're a Habs fan growing up, it seems it's just in your blood (to hate the Leafs),' Burrows said. ``As a kid, you always dreamed to play `Hockey Night in Canada' in Toronto.

``It's a coast-to-coast game and you want to show what your team's all about.'

NOTES: The teams meet again Feb. 18 at Rogers Arena. ... Toronto's last victory over Vancouver came on Nov. 24, 2003. ... Andrew Ebbett, Andrew Alberts and Alexander Sulzer sat out for Vancouver. ... The Maple Leafs scratched David Steckel, Colton Orr and Jay Rosehill. ... Announced attendance was 19,633.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

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The Associated Press
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