Maple Leafs Sweep Season Series Against Toothless Sharks
Marner scored two goals and two assists as the Maple Leafs outscored San Jose 11-2 in the season series.
Another game against the San Jose Sharks and another humongous win for the Maple Leafs.
The two teams squared off for the second time in four nights on Tuesday and it appeared as though the Sharks had no gas in their tank at all. Toronto had goals from a player in each of their four forward lines, handing San Jose their league-leading 29th loss in regulation this season.
Toronto dominated the first period against the Sharks, outshooting San Jose 16-5. The Maple Leafs hit two posts before finding the back of the net nearly 17 minutes into the frame.
William Nylander, from the blue line, makes a great feed to Morgan Rielly, who beats a screened Kaapo Kahkonen for his fifth goal of the season. It's the 29-year-old's first goal since Dec. 11 against the New York Islanders.
Rielly continues his quiet, yet offensive, season and now has 32 points in 38 games, which keeps him within the top-10 in league scoring for defensemen.
15 seconds after Rielly's goal, former Maple Leaf Alex Barabanov would take a holding penalty, giving the dominative Maple Leafs a power play. Nylander, again, would do some of the lifting, before Auston Matthews scored from an incredibly difficult angle.
The crowd's reaction for Matthews' goal was different to Rielly's not even a minute prior. When the 26-year-old forward scored, it sounded like the crowd was cheering in disgust on the filth of the goal. With the tally on Tuesday, Matthews improves to 31 goals in 37 games this season.
The second period would get no easier for San Jose.
54 seconds into the frame, Jake McCabe fired a shot intentionally wide and Marner made a great tip in front which found its way into the back of the net for his 16th goal of the season.
1:12 later, David Kampf and Bobby McMann would get the puck up-ice for Pontus Holmberg and he scored a one-handed goal for his first of the year, putting the Maple Leafs up 4-0.
The goal would end Kahkonen's night and Mackenzie Blackwood would come in for San Jose.
"That's a hell of a goal there by Bergy," Marner told TSN's Mark Masters during the second intermission, "that's why he's my favorite player in the NHL."
The Maple Leafs allowed one goal in the second period, but dominated play, heading into the second intermission with a 75.11 xGF% at five-on-five through the frame.
McCabe and Marner would team up again in the third period. This time, though, it's Marner finding McCabe and he puts the puck past Blackwood for his second goal of the year.
Also picking up an assist on the goal was Simon Benoit, which is his first point with the Maple Leafs.
Marner wouldn't be done there, though. Toronto would get a four-minute power play after Benoit was cut by a high stick and Marner found the back of the net for his second goal of the game and fourth point on the night.
Since the goal was scored with more than two minutes left on the initial power play, the Maple Leafs would remain on the man advantage. And Nick Robertson, who's been a healthy scratch for the last two games, would score his sixth goal of the year.
Robertson has three goals in his last four games with Toronto. Martin Jones would stop 22 of 23 shots, winning his eighth game of the season as the Maple Leafs send the Sharks to Montreal with a 7-1 loss.
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