clarinews@clarinet.com (01/16/90)
TORONTO (UPI) -- Wendel Clark scored the tie-breaking goal at 13:45 of the third period Monday, lifting the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 7-6 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Vince Damphousse's slap shot was stopped by goalie Jacques Cloutier but Clark, positioned next to the net, jarred the puck loose and poked it past Cloutier for the winning score. Steve Larmer of Chicago made the score 6-6 when a shot from teammate Al Secord deflected off his leg and into the net at 9:23 of the period. The two teams were tied 1-1 after one period but both clubs combined for nine goals in the second, with Toronto scoring five. John McIntyre put the Maple Leafs in front 2-1 at 0:41 of the second. Ed Olczyk increased Toronto's advantage to 3-1 with a power-play goal at 2:52. Chicago answered with Denis Savard's goal 41 seconds later and tied the score at 5:34 when Al Secord's shot deflected in off Toronto defenseman Brian Curran's stick. Toronto took a 4-3 lead at 9:35 on a short-handed goal by Dan Daoust, who stole the puck near his own blue line, broke in alone on goalie Alain Chevrier and slipped a backhander between the goaltender's pads. Mark Osborne scored at 10:17 of the second to increase Toronto's lead to 5-3. Cloutier replaced Chevrier, who had given up 5 goals on 20 shots. Damphousse scored on the new goaltender nearly two minutes later, giving the Maple Leafs a 6-3 lead. Savard's second goal of the day pulled Chicago to 6-4 and the Blackhawks drew within 6-5 when Larmer's attempted pass through the Toronto goalcrease deflected in off goalie Allan Bester at 17:51. Al Iafrate gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead at 14:49 of the first period. Chicago tied the score on Adam Creighton's power-play goal.