Hockey -- Checking-Line Center Becomes Star In Ot -- Zezel's Goal Lifts Leafs Over Canucks

TORONTO - Peter Zezel did it all.

The Toronto center, used primarily in a checking role and sent out to take key faceoffs, scored two goals - including the winner 16:55 into overtime - to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory last night over the Vancouver Canucks in the opening game of the NHL Western Conference final.

Dave Andreychuk also scored for the Maple Leafs. Trevor Linden and Dave Babych scored for the Canucks.

Zezel's winning goal was set up when teammate Mark Osborne shot the puck from center ice into a corner of the Vancouver zone and linemate Bill Berg raced after it. When Canucks goaltender Kirk McLean dashed out of his crease and ran into Berg, Zezel fired the loose puck into the open net.

"It was a great play by Ozzie to get the puck in deep," Zezel said. "McLean had to come out to play the puck and it was tipped by Bergie. I guess McLean didn't see me coming in."

Rangers ready for `Tunnel'

NEW YORK - It is called the "Tunnel Series." And the New York Rangers, after dropping the first game at home, are looking for a glint of light.

"We have to tighten up a little bit defensively," forward Adam Graves said as the Rangers prepared for tonight's Game 2 of their NHL playoff series with the New Jersey. "I think we allowed them a few too many breakaways (in Game 1)."

For the first time in this year's playoffs, the Rangers find themselves trailing an opponent after losing the opener of the

Eastern Conference final, 4-3 in two overtimes. They were 4-0 against the New York Islanders and 3-0 against Washington before winning that second-round series in five games.

"We knew that coming in, it wasn't going to be easy," Graves said of the Devils' series. "They're a great team and played an excellent game. Unfortunately, we ended up on the bottom of it."

Notes

-- Bruce McNall closed a deal to sell 72 percent of the Los Angeles Kings for $60 million to telecommunications executive Jeffrey Sudikoff and entertainment executive Joseph Cohen. The sale calls for McNall to retain a minority interest in the club and continue to run the daily operations.

-- Jean-Claude Morrissette has stepped down as general manager of the Laval Titan after acknowledging his involvement in an altercation in which a veteran referee suffered a mild concussion and cuts to his face shortly after Laval was defeated 5-4 by the Kamloops Blazers on Sunday. The referee was injured when a man punched in the window of his car. There also were reports the referee was hit on the head by a bottle thrown by a bystander.