Alexei Ponikarovsky had played down the significance of the game going in.
Regardless of who was on the other side, he said, it was just another battle in a long season of wars and not something he had marked on the calendar.
No matter that this was his first season in the NHL without his long-time best friend and roommate on the road, no matter that this game was against said friend Nik Antropov and his Atlanta Thrashers.
And yet, on the ice, his stick did the talking.
With much of the pregame talk focused on Antropov and fellow Leafs castoff Pavel Kubina in town as members of the opposition, Ponikarovsky stole the spotlight, scoring two late second-period goals 28 seconds apart and adding an assist to pace the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 win last night at the Air Canada Centre.
Leafs coach Ron Wilson said he was impressed with his entire first line, Ponikarovsky included.
"He worked really hard and took advantage of other people's real good plays to set him up," Wilson said, complimenting linemates Phil Kessel and Matt Stajan in the process. "He made some really nice plays."
Ponikarovsky was far from alone in contributing on the scoresheet in this one, as 11 Leafs picked up at least a point and fellow forwards Lee Stempniak, Stajan and Mikhail Grabovski all bulged the twine in a wild second period. Kessel checked in with an assist, but was dangerous all night and could have easily had more.
The pals, meanwhile, met up quietly afterward - although Ponikarovsky said he wouldn't needle Antropov much.
"We're just going to chat about stuff," Ponikarovksy said, smiling. "Nothing bad."
Antropov admitted his pregame jitters might have gotten the better of him.
"I'm absolutely [disappointed]with my game [last night]" Antropov, who was minus-2 and was held off the scoresheet in 18 minutes of ice time, said. "It was the worst game I've played since coming to Atlanta. By the time I woke up, it was too late."
Ponikarovsky had received some ribbing from teammates about getting "too emotional" before the game, but if that was the case, the hulking winger didn't let on. Still, given he and Antropov - drafted in 1998 three rounds apart and from former Soviet Republics (Ukraine and Kazakhstan) - were an inseparable duo on the Leafs for eight seasons, one could hardly blame him for shedding a tear when Antropov was dealt for a second-round pick at last year's trade deadline.
In many ways, both players gained the reputation of underachievers in some difficult seasons in Toronto, although this year sees them as competent first-line contributors and on pace for career highs (Ponikarovsky in goals and Antropov in points) at age 29.
Despite the distance between them during the season, the pair said they remain close and both have become Canadian citizens and make their off-season homes in Toronto.
"It's different now, with him playing for a different team, but that doesn't change anything about our relationship in life," Ponikarovsky said.
The game was a decent showing for troubled netminder Vesa Toskala, too. He entered the night with the league's worst save percentage (.859) among NHL starters and yet turned aside 22 shots for his first win since Nov. 21.
At the other end of the rink, the Thrashers young goaltender Ondrej Pavelec had a difficult go and was pulled for the start of the third period in favour of red-hot veteran Johan Hedberg. Atlanta's goaltending has been a strong point this season even with regular No. 1 Kari Lehtonen on the shelf, but that wasn't on display last night.
Bryan Little and Marty Reasoner had the goals for Atlanta in the third period, but it was too little too late.
The win, Toronto's third at home all season, moves the Leafs to 6-2-1 in their last nine games and has them trending upward heading into tomorrow night's contest against the sinking New York Islanders.
Even so, Wilson said there's work to do.
"I know if I turn the paper upside down, which I'm wont to do anyway, then I might see that we're at the top [of the standings]" Wilson said. "I'm just worrying about getting a point or two every night."
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SCORESHEET
Notes Asked to offer some advice to Team Canada coach Mike Babcock when it comes to shutting down the Thrashers' Russian sniper Ilya Kovalchuk at the Olympics, Atlanta coach John Anderson said only two words: "Good luck." ... A Toronto native who played for the Leafs, Anderson said games on the road in Canada are a big deal for the Thrashers. "Obviously you see the media here. When I talk to the media at home, there's maybe one or two people," Anderson said. "For our guys, it's an exciting time. Our guys feel like it's a centre stage and a platform to show that they're good hockey players and show the rest of the hockey world that we do play some good hockey down in Atlanta." ... Thrashers centre Nik Antropov played the first 509 games of his NHL career with the Leafs after Toronto drafted him in the first round 11 years ago. He was dealt to the New York Rangers at last year's trade deadline and signed a lucrative free-agent deal in Atlanta this summer. Antropov said a lot of his success this season has been due to playing with the Russian pair of Kovalchuk and Maxim Afinogenov, Antropov's former teammate overseas. ... A game against his former team meant a rare lineup appearance for defenceman Garnet Exelby, who had been a healthy scratch in 11 of the Leafs' previous 15 games. ... With Christian Hanson demoted to the minors, Rickard Wallin got into his first game action since Nov. 19.
Next Tomorrow against the New York Islanders, 7 p.m.
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James Mirtle