Early flurry pushes Leafs over Devils
NEWARK, N.J. -- The Toronto Maple Leafs used a first-period scoring flurry to cruise past the New Jersey Devils 4-2 at Prudential Center on Friday night.
Nazem Kadri, Auston Matthews, Connor Brown and Tyler Bozak scored four goals over a 5:49 stretch in the first period to give the Leafs an insurmountable edge. Andersen wasn't tested with many difficult chances but turned aside 30 shots.
The Leafs are 6-0-1 in their past seven points and moved into the third playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.
Devils goaltender Cory Schneider was chased from the game by Matthews' goal and stopped just two of five shots. Keith Kinkaid relieved Schneider and stopped seven of eight shots.
PA Parenteau ended Andersen's shutout bid by scoring a power-play goal with 3:24 remaining in the third period. Jon Merrill scored on a wraparound with 2:29 remaining to make the game seem closer than it was.
The Devils had won three of four.
Four goals in less than six minutes of the first period broke the game open and ended Schneider's night after it barely began.
Kadri scored the first of two power-play goals at 9:26 to give Toronto the early lead. Schneider made the initial save on a right-wing blast by James van Riemsdyk, but Kadri found the rebound for his 15th of the season.
Brown scored a shorthanded goal at 13:17 that Schneider may never forget. Devils defenseman Damon Severson played the puck back to Schneider to relieve pressure, but the netminder failed to move the puck as Brown closed on him. Brown lifted Schneider's stick, stole the puck and swept it into the empty net to make it 2-0.
Schneider's night ended 1:23 when Matthews tapped a rebound into the net after a point shot from Jake Gardiner hit Zach Hyman and left the puck just outside the crease. A fallen Matthews scored his 21st goal to make it 3-0.
Kinkaid was greeted with a Bozak goal 35 seconds later. Kadri's redirection banked off van Riemsdyk and right to Bozak for Toronto's third power-play goal of the period.
NOTES: Devils D Andy Greene (hand) saw his 350-game ironman streak come to an end. It's the third-longest streak in team history, topped only by Travis Zajac (401, 2006-2011) and Ken Daneyko (355, 1989-1994). ... The Maple Leafs scratched D Frank Corrado and LW Josh Leivo. ... After the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, they will embark on their bye week and won't play again until Jan. 13. ... The Devils posthumously inducted Dr. John McMullen, the team's longtime owner, into the newly minted ring of honor at Prudential Center. McMullen owned the team for 35 years before selling it in 2000. He died in September 2005. ... Devils G Cory Schneider appeared in his 300th career game.