William Nylander and Wayne Simmonds each scored in the opening six minutes Friday and the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs continued their hot run with a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks.
Auston Matthews and John Tavares also scored as the Maple Leafs won for the 13th time in their last 15 games going back to Oct. 27. Toronto also won its sixth consecutive road game.
Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll had 34 saves in his third career game as Toronto has won the first three games on a four-game road trip that ends Sunday at Anaheim.
Nick Bonino had a goal for the Sharks, with the score also coming in the opening six minutes. San Jose lost after posting consecutive victories this week and has not won three consecutive games since opening the season 4-0-0.
Sharks goalie James Reimer gave up four goals on 17 shots and was pulled with 9:16 remaining in the second period. He was replaced by Adin Hill, who went on to make 16 saves.
Nylander took a touch pass from Tavares at the top of the right circle and scored 32 seconds into the game. The goal was his eighth of the season.
The Sharks got even 1-1 at 4:44 of the opening period when Bonino scored for the second consecutive game, also his second goal in a Sharks uniform.
The Leafs went back on top 2-1 a mere 32 seconds later when Simmonds delivered his second of the season and his first since Oct. 16.
Matthews scored his ninth of the season at 4:57 of the second period, cleaning up a loose puck out in front of the Sharks goal. Tavares added his team-leading 10th on the power play at 10:44 of the second period to give Toronto a 4-1 lead.
Toronto’s victory avenged a 5-3 defeat at home to San Jose when they were on a four-game losing streak that preceded their current 15-game hot stretch.
–Field Level Media
