  Canadiens' Scott Gomez scores on Leafs' Vesa Toskala during the NHL game Saturday night in Montreal. (QMI Agency)
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MONTREAL -- You've got to be lucky to be good, right?
Well, last night embattled Maple Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala wasn't enough of either at the Bell Centre in his return to the Leafs net for the first time in nearly three weeks.
For the third consecutive game and the second in as many nights, the Leafs had to settle for an extra-time loss as a Halloween party erupted onto the streets of Montreal following the Habs' 5-4 shootout win.
A pair of rotten goals, the type that have tortured Leafs fans throughout the past two seasons, plus two more that came off terrible bounces spoiled a wild late rally in which Toronto scored twice in the final 3:24 to force overtime.
"I could throw out all the cliches, but we still have to find a way to win," Leafs coach Ron Wilson said when asked if he was encouraged by his team forcing overtime with the goaltender pulled for the second game in a row.
"What cliche do you want? 'Never say die, blah, blah, blah.' We have to find a way to win."
Sure, the Leafs finished off a five-game road swing with points in four of them -- one win and three extra-time losses. But you still have to look to the bottom of the NHL standings to find them after a one-win October in 12 starts.
As for last night, Toskala was actually having a good night at the office early.
For the first time in five starts this season, he exited the first period without surrendering a goal. He looked sharp too, despite making his first start since Oct. 12 when he suffered a knee injury and bruised ego in a 7-2 loss to the New York Rangers.
If that good fortune wasn't enough, the Leafs hit the jackpot on a power play 1:12 into the second period when Alexei Ponikarovsky buried a Tomas Kaberle rebound to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead, the first time they had scored the opening goal this season.
Then the real Toskala returned, surrendering the type of goal that routinely drives Wilson nuts. Just 1:15 after the first Leafs goal, Glen Metropolit tied it for the Habs on a weak shot from the side of the net that bounded off of Toskala's arm and in.
"I look at it like I was starting a new season," said Toskala, who gave up meek goals to Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez in the shootout while Habs netminder Jaroslav Halak denied Lee Stempniak and Kaberle.
"Obviously I would like to take that one back, but that kind of stuff happens and you just have to get over it."
After giving up another questionable goal on a juicy rebound that Guillaume Latendresse easily buried, the next two were brutal bounces -- one a pinball shot from the point by Habs defenceman Hall Gill that went off two Leafs defenceman, and another that banked off the pads of Roman Hamrlik and behind Toskala.
That last one gave the Habs a 4-2 lead midway through the third and the Leafs looked done. But after Ponikarovsky got his second with 3:24 remaining, Kaberle sent it to overtime with his wrister with 54 seconds left on the clock.
ROB.LONGLEY@SUNMEDIA.CA
