When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed David Clarkson to a seven-year, $36.75 million contract this past summer they probably weren't expecting him to wait until Nov. 19 to score his first goal.
David Clarkson scores first goal with Maple Leafs
David Clarkson is finally on the board for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Spo
But thanks to a lengthy suspension to open the season, and a 10-game goal drought when he finally returned to the lineup, that's the situation they found themselves in entering their game with the Islanders on Tuesday night.
That is when Clarkson finally broke through in the third period with his first Maple Leafs goal, when he beat Kevin Poulin with this quick snap shot from the slot.
Even without a goal Clarkson had been playing pretty decent hockey for the Maple Leafs this season, and it seemed to be just a matter of time until he broke through. He’s probably never going to repeat the 30-goal season he had in New Jersey a couple of years ago -- which is probably going to make that contract difficult for Toronto fans to swallow in future years -- but he’s still probably a good bet to chip in 12-15 goals per season and play a solid two-way game.
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