UNIONDALE, Texas, April 28 (UPI) -- Mariusz Czerkawski stepped up in the absence of Michael Peca and Kenny Jonsson, scoring his first two playoffs goals, as the New York Islanders forced a decisive seventh game in their NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 5-3 victory Sunday night.
Kip Miller added a goal and two assists as New York evened this war of attrition at three wins each and set up a showdown on Tuesday night in Toronto. It will be the second Game Seven of this year's playoffs.
Two nights after controversial hits felled Peca, their most versatile player, and Jonsson, a key defenseman, the Islanders got an early boost from a boisterous crowd at Nassau Coliseum and never trailed.
They squandered a two-goal lead in the first period but went ahead for good just 95 seconds into the second on a power-play goal by defenseman Adrian Aucoin. In Jonsson's absence, Aucoin logged an astounding 34 minutes, 40 seconds.
With Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe in the penalty box, Shawn Bates deflected Roman Hamrlik's pass off the left goalpost. The puck caromed to Aucoin, who was alone on the right side and flicked it into a half-empty net for his second goal of the series.
Miller and Czerkawski scored 38 seconds apart early in the third period, enabling the Islanders to survive a power-play goal by Gary Roberts with 13:19 to play.
Pulled in the second period of Game Five, Chris Osgood bounced back with a solid effort for the Islanders. He stopped 31 shots and helped send New York to the seventh Game Seven in team history.
Jonas Hoglund had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who are 9-8 in Game Sevens. They defeated the Islanders, 4-3, in Game Seven of the 1978 Stanley Cup quarterfinals on an overtime goal by Lanny McDonald.
