Sundin’s Overtime Goal Powers Maple Leafs, 4-3

The Toronto Maple Leafs are beginning to realize that they have to persevere without injured defenseman Bryan Berard.

Mats Sundin scored on a power play 1:38 into overtime Thursday night as the Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 4-3, at Detroit, ending the Red Wings’ season-high eight-game unbeaten streak.

“We were a lot sharper tonight, right from the start,” Maple Leaf Coach Pat Quinn said. “That could’ve been any number of reasons, but we had a lot of jump and fortunately we got a win.”

Sergei Berezin, who had two goals and an assist, scored with 8.2 seconds to play in the third period to send the game into overtime. Dmitri Khristich also scored for the Maple Leafs.

Toronto has won six of its last seven games. The loss was a 5-2 setback Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Maple Leafs’ first game since Berard suffered a sight-threatening injury when he was accidentally hit in the right eye with a stick last Saturday at Ottawa.

“I think a lot of us had Bryan on our minds,” Sundin said. “On top of that, it was a big game for us. We showed character to win the game.”

N.Y. Islanders 4, Atlanta 2--Stephen Valiquette made 37 saves at Atlanta to win his first NHL start.

Atlanta has lost 10 in a row and is 1-24-2 since beating the Philadelphia Flyers, 1-0, on Jan. 14.

Pittsburgh 4, Florida 2--Josef Beranek and Bob Boughner scored goals at Pittsburgh in their first game with the revamped Penguins, who ended an 0-for-18 power-play drought and scored more than three goals for the first time in 17 games, the longest such streak in team history.

Montreal 1, Philadelphia 1--Jeff Hackett made 38 saves to help the Canadiens to a tie at Philadelphia.

The Flyers played their second consecutive game without captain Eric Lindros, who remained hospitalized because of a post-traumatic migraine headache, the result of a concussion suffered in a game two weeks ago.

Lindros, admitted to the hospital Wednesday, is expected to be sidelined at least 10 days.

Colorado 2, Nashville 2--Ray Bourque scored his 399th goal--most by an NHL defenseman--to help the Avalanche to a tie that ended its six-game winning streak.

Bourque scored his fourth power-play goal since being traded from the Boston Bruins 10 days ago.

Vancouver 6, Buffalo 3--Markus Naslund had two power-play goals and two assists at Vancouver as the Canucks kept their slim playoff hopes alive.

Chicago 5, Boston 4--Steve Sullivan scored 1:39 into overtime at Chicago.

Around the League

Petr Nedved, the New York Rangers’ leading scorer, will sit out two games this weekend because of bruised ribs. . . . YankeeNets LLC, parent company of the New York Yankees and the New Jersey Nets, said its Puck Holdings affiliate agreed to buy the New Jersey Devils. A source close to the deal said the total price was $175 million.