Maple Leafs overwhelm Coyotes
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Patrick Marleau scored twice and Auston Matthews added a goal in his return home as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Arizona Coyotes 7-4 on Thursday night.
Mitch Marner recorded a goal and two assists, William Nylander had a goal and an assist, and Zach Hyman and Connor Brown also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won two of their last three games. Toronto (23-14-1) moved one point ahead of the Boston Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division.
Marleau finished with a three-point night.
Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist, and Josh Archibald, Brendan Perlini and Christian Fischer also scored for the Coyotes, who fell to a league-worst 9-26-5. Arizona has lost two of three, giving up at least six goals in each of the defeats.
After nearly squandering an early three-goal lead, the Maple Leafs salted the game away with three goals in a six-minute span of the second period, the last two coming 10 seconds apart.
Marleau gave Toronto a 4-2 lead at 9:15 of the middle period, redirecting a pass from Marner past Arizona goalie Scott Wedgewood from the low slot.
Nylander made it 5-2 at 15:13, pouncing on a turnover by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and scoring an unassisted goal past a sprawling Wedgewood.
Marleau followed 10 seconds later, capping a play that started with another Coyotes turnover. He chipped the puck into the net from the right side of the crease for his 14th goal of the season and 31st career goal in 109 games against Arizona.
Martinook cut the lead to 6-3 at 18:33 when he scored on a long rebound. Arizona took advantage of another rebound on a power play at 14:07 of the third, with Fischer scoring off Clayton Keller's initial shot to make it 6-4.
Brown added an empty-net goal with 2:30 to play, eight seconds after Wedgewood was pulled in favor an extra attacker.
Hyman gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead at 8:55 of the first after Coyotes center Derek Stepan whiffed on a pass from just inside the Toronto zone. The puck hopped backward toward center ice, where Hyman took it under control and skated in for an unassisted, short-handed goal.
Matthews, who grew up in nearby Scottsdale, stretched the lead to 2-0 at 10:58 on a quick blast from the inside hash of the left circle, and Marner scored on a one-timer 27 seconds later to make it 3-0. It was Matthews' 15th goal of the season and second in as many games.
The Coyotes tried to rally with two goals in 77 seconds. Archibald scored his first Coyotes goal at 14:15 of the first period after the puck popped into the crease behind Frederik Andersen after a scrum in front of the net. Perlini pulled Arizona within a goal at 15:32, taking a pass in front of the net from Tobias Rieder.
Andersen made 30 saves, while Wedgewood stopped 26 shots.
NOTES: Toronto C Patrick Marleau's two-goal game was his second of the season and first since the season opener. ... Maple Leafs C William Nylander recorded his 100th career point on C Auston Matthews' goal. ... Coyotes LW Brendan Perlini broke a 12-game streak without a goal. Perlini, who had been a healthy scratch Saturday against Colorado, has scored a team-best 23 goals since he was recalled on Dec. 5, 2016. ... Arizona RW Josh Archibald's goal was the fourth of his career, the other three coming during his 11 career games with Pittsburgh. ... Maple Leafs C Mitchell Marner has three goals in his past four games. ... Coyotes C Clayton Keller leads the team with 13 goals and 31 points and has eight points during a current seven-game point streak.