Andreychuk and Co. Are Back in Business : Hockey: He and linemates Gartner and Gilmour in sync on game-winning goal.

Mike Gartner camped out on the right wing and Dave Andreychuk stayed to the left. Dave Ellett put the puck behind the net, where Doug Gilmour could do the most damage.

This was the dangerous situation the Mighty Ducks faced against the Toronto Maple Leafs midway through overtime Sunday at The Pond.

In an instant, Gilmour sneaked a peak at Gartner, then flipped a blind pass in the other direction, not knowing, but hoping Andreychuk would be there. He was stationed perfectly at point-blank range, converting Gilmour’s pass into the game-winning goal 2:05 into overtime.

“All I could do was whack it home,” Andreychuk said after Toronto’s 3-2 victory.

Somebody later kidded Andreychuk about it being perhaps his 8,000th goal scored in such fashion. That was wrong. It was merely No. 457 in his 14-year NHL career.

For five games, opponents got a break. Andreychuk had a separated shoulder and opposing teams didn’t have to worry about keeping tabs on him in front of their nets.

But two games back on the job and Andreychuk is helping Toronto win games again. Certainly, it’s not glamorous work, putting up with the hammering that comes with playing in front of the net. But for better or worse, that’s Andreychuk’s game. The Ducks only wish they had somebody who could fill the role as efficiently.

“The main thing is trying to get there,” Andreychuk said, explaining his method of operation after the Maple Leafs won their sixth game in the past seven. “I know playing with Doug Gilmour that he’s going to get me the puck.”

It helps when linemates are on the same wavelength, as Andreychuk and Gilmour were on the game’s final play. Add Gartner to the mix and the line ranks among the most formidable in the NHL.

After all, Gartner has 16 goals and 24 points, Gilmour has 13 goals and 27 points and Andreychuk has nine goals and 26 points.

Stats aside, each player plays to different strengths. Gartner is the sniper, Gilmour the passer and Andreychuk the power forward.

Maple Leaf Coach Pat Burns wanted that line on the ice to start the overtime period, but couldn’t because the teams were each skating with a man short. Mike Craig of Toronto and Bobby Dollas each picked up roughing penalties with 46 seconds left in regulation.

As soon as he could, though, Burns sent Andreychuk, Gartner and Gilmour over the boards.

“It was great to get that line back together again,” Burns said.

Andreychuk suffered the injury against the Ducks Dec. 2 at Maple Leaf Gardens and returned for Toronto’s 6-3 victory over the Kings Saturday at the Forum.

It hardly seemed as if he had been away, driving the Ducks batty with his strong play in front of goaltender Mikhail Shtalenkov.

“Once he gets in a rhythm, once he gets going, it’s going to help us a lot,” Gilmour said. “It worked out great [Sunday]. Dave and I haven’t had a chance to play much because of his injury.”

They clicked perfectly in overtime.

Gilmour won a faceoff in the right circle to set up the winning goal. The puck flew to Ellett, who sent it behind the net for Gilmour. And with only a moment’s hesitation, because Duck defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky was closing in, Gilmour fed Andreychuk.

Andreychuk then re-directed the pass past Shtalenkov.

“A blind pass,” Gilmour called it.

Said Andreychuk: “Obviously, Doug Gilmour makes a big play. I think the goalie was surprised it came out [the pass from behind the net] so quickly.”

It was merely a simple, albeit game-winning, play Andreychuk has made so many times.